Episode 53
Moving to Columbus Twice, Underground Yoga in Soviet Lithuania and Finding Somatic Therapy with Anastasija Katcyna (Re-Release)
Anastasija grew up in post-Soviet Lithuania, got a green card at 18, and spent years bouncing between Columbus, London, Edinburgh, and Norway before eventually landing back in Ohio and becoming a somatic therapist and yoga teacher. We talk about growing up post-Soviet, the green card bureaucracy, and how a business trip to Columbus turned permanent once the pandemic hit.
(This episode was originally released on 9/23/2025.)
Learn more about Anastasia's practice and sign up for one of her classes at: www.sijasomatics.com and follow her on Instagram @anastasija_katcyna.
Please show some support for the podcast and get access to some extra content by subscribing to the Patreon page: http://www.patreon.com/onefjef
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You can also call the podcast and leave a voicemail at 1-669-241-5882 and I will probably play it on the air.
Thank you for listening, please do it again, but in post-Soviet Lithuania.
Onefjef is produced, edited & hosted by Jef Taylor.
Transcript
Hola, mis amigos y amigas.
Speaker:It's Jef, your parasocial friend Jef.
Speaker:Your charming, interesting, funny, confusing parasocial friend Jef Hello.
Speaker:How are you?
Speaker:I hope you're thriving as always.
Speaker:Am I thriving?
Speaker:I think I am thriving.
Speaker:I think I am.
Speaker:I still really enjoy my new apartment.
Speaker:I've had this lingering, like, cold, congestion thing for the last week or
Speaker:two, and I am not sure if it's because there's more pollution in the area
Speaker:that I live in now or if it's because I just have a cold of some sort.
Speaker:I'm hoping that it's the latter, but I kind of have a feeling it's,
Speaker:like, a combination of both the pollution and a moderate cold.
Speaker:So, you know, send some good vibes my way because it's not that I'm sick.
Speaker:I'm just, like, congested and, like, I don't have the energy
Speaker:that I did two weeks ago.
Speaker:So, so there you go.
Speaker:Anyway, enough about me.
Speaker:This is the second re-released episode of onefjef, and it, like
Speaker:the last one, is a good one.
Speaker:Anastasija Katcyna, I hope I pronounced that right.
Speaker:She tells me in the episode how to pronounce it, but I
Speaker:forgot, so that's my best shot.
Speaker:I think it's right.
Speaker:Anyway, Anastasija is a fascinating human being, and I met her because
Speaker:she was one of my favorite yoga teachers in Columbus, Ohio.
Speaker:And it feels appropriate to re-release her episode now, not only because
Speaker:it's one of my favorites but also because it's an expat story.
Speaker:Anastasija was born in Lithuania, in post-Soviet Lithuania, that is, and
Speaker:emigrated to Columbus when she was very young, uh, and made it work.
Speaker:But it's a longer story than this, and you can hear all about
Speaker:it in the interview that follows.
Speaker:So I really enjoyed my interview with Anastasija, and I really enjoyed
Speaker:re-listening to it a few days ago, and I think that you will too.
Speaker:So without further ado, here's my interview with Anastasija Katcyna
Speaker:from September 23rd of 2025.
Speaker:I will remember this.
Speaker:Oh, it's good to know.
Speaker:See?
Speaker:I will.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Maybe, like, in 10 years I'm gonna be having, like, many, one else or, you know.
Speaker:But, but I will remember this one 'cause this is a new experience.
Speaker:Oh, well, I'm glad.
Speaker:And this is not type of experience of like, well, you know, I'm not being
Speaker:expert- Yeah, no, I- … on something.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I'm just being a human with- Yeah … all my flaws and- Yeah … you know, all
Speaker:my, all my stuff, just like you are.
Speaker:That's what I want the thing to be.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:This is episode 17 of onefjef.
Speaker:17 is a prime number, the sum of the first four primes and the
Speaker:only prime between 16 and 18.
Speaker:In numerology, 17 reduces to eight, linked with ambition and success, and in Italy
Speaker:it's considered unlucky because 17 can be rearranged to vixi, meaning I have lived.
Speaker:Have you lived?
Speaker:Are you living now?
Speaker:If you're listening to this podcast, you are, of course, living in the sense that
Speaker:you're existing as a being on this planet.
Speaker:But are you really living?
Speaker:If the answer is no, perhaps it's time for a change.
Speaker:Hello, my friends.
Speaker:I hope you're thriving.
Speaker:Since I got back from my road trip, I've been a bit overwhelmed I feel
Speaker:like I'm at a turning point of some sort in my life, which has opened
Speaker:the door to lots of possibilities and decisions and so forth, which is
Speaker:exciting, but it's also stressful.
Speaker:I'm no stranger to making drastic changes in my life.
Speaker:But at 51, the idea of a drastic change feels a bit more daunting than it did
Speaker:when I was, like, 29 or 32 or even 44.
Speaker:We all get stuck in our ways as we get older, and I think this more than anything
Speaker:is why I need to make a big change.
Speaker:I lived in Columbus for about seven years, which is quite longer than I
Speaker:imagined I would, although I'm not sure how long I imagined I would.
Speaker:And since I got laid off earlier this year, I've had this nagging
Speaker:feeling that it's somehow time to go.
Speaker:I think that's why I've been traveling so much this year.
Speaker:And this feeling was, was reinforced in many ways during my road trip.
Speaker:And since I've been back, there have been several signs which indicate
Speaker:to me that the universe is, like, agreeing with this nagging feeling.
Speaker:And when the universe is giving you signs, I feel like it's best to
Speaker:heed them, particularly when one of the signs is a crazy landlord who
Speaker:is growing increasingly unhinged.
Speaker:But I digress.
Speaker:As always, thank you to my new and continuing Patreon subscribers.
Speaker:You are all wonderful humans.
Speaker:I did put up a bonus episode just for my Patreon subscribers.
Speaker:I put that up this morning, and if you'd like to hear that and also
Speaker:see the pictures from my road trip and also help support the podcast,
Speaker:please do go to patreon.com/onefjef.
Speaker:For as little as $5 a month, you can help support the show and
Speaker:get a bunch of extra content.
Speaker:Perhaps not a bunch of, but you'll get some extra content.
Speaker:I don't know how you quantify a bunch.
Speaker:Everybody defines it differently, I imagine.
Speaker:But you will get extra content that nobody else gets to hear
Speaker:except for you, you special humans.
Speaker:Patreon.com/onefjef.
Speaker:Today's guest is Anastasija Katsina Is a somatic therapist, educator, and
Speaker:yoga teacher whose work integrates somatic experiencing, breathwork,
Speaker:movement, and expressive art.
Speaker:She holds a master's in public health and has training in somatic movement,
Speaker:dance and movement therapy, Katona yoga, and trauma-informed modalities.
Speaker:Her focus is on helping people feel safe in their bodies, attune to
Speaker:nervous system cues, and heal through embodiment rather than only through talk.
Speaker:I met Stasia in a yoga class about a year ago.
Speaker:I was initially struck by her unique accent, which seemed somewhat out
Speaker:of place in Columbus, let alone in a yoga studio in Columbus.
Speaker:But she quickly turned into one of my favorite yoga teachers, both
Speaker:in this city or any city, really.
Speaker:Her classes are unique and challenging and fun in a way
Speaker:that's kind of hard to describe.
Speaker:If you get a chance, I highly recommend taking one of her classes.
Speaker:She also has a fascinating life story, which you'll hear in this episode.
Speaker:She grew up in post-Soviet Lithuania, and then she somehow
Speaker:ended up here in Columbus, Ohio.
Speaker:It's a story of looking for yourself in different places and different
Speaker:people, and then eventually finding yourself in yourself.
Speaker:It's a story that I very much relate to, and I think we can
Speaker:all relate to it in some way.
Speaker:I really enjoyed this conversation with Stacia, and I hope you will too.
Speaker:Thank you for listening.
Speaker:Thank you for being here.
Speaker:Here's Anastasija Katsena.
Speaker:I hope I pronounced that right.
Speaker:Apologies if not
Speaker:I'll be honest, I have, like, avoided, like, when I, when I come into your
Speaker:yoga class, I kind of avoid saying your name because I don't wanna butcher it.
Speaker:Mm. So I'm just kinda like, "Hey." Hey.
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:So can you tell me how you actually say your name?
Speaker:Because I- So I'm gonna give you a few versions.
Speaker:Oh, God.
Speaker:Why are you doing that?
Speaker:I only want- Give me, just give me the best one.
Speaker:Well, I can give you the best one, uh, between my friends and my family- Okay
Speaker:… which is a short version, and it's Nastya.
Speaker:Nastya, that's easy.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Yeah, that's it.
Speaker:What are the other- We're done.
Speaker:I, now I need to hear the other one.
Speaker:The other one is Anastasiia.
Speaker:Anastasiia.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:So think about as, like, nice to see you.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Anastasiia.
Speaker:Oh, that's good.
Speaker:It rhymes well.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:I would've, I would've done, like, Anastasia, and you
Speaker:probably get that all the time.
Speaker:Yeah, and that too.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's, it's, uh, more of a, like, South America- Right … uh,
Speaker:pronunciation, Anastasia.
Speaker:Anastasia.
Speaker:And what's your last name?
Speaker:How do you pronounce that?
Speaker:Kacena.
Speaker:Kacena.
Speaker:And where are you from?
Speaker:Lithuania.
Speaker:Lithuania?
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And, uh, let me tell you how you got on my radar.
Speaker:Um- I was doing a, like a f- a free one-month thing at GO last
Speaker:year Uh-huh … at Go Yoga.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And, uh, you know, like s- some of the teachers were okay, but I was going
Speaker:like every single day at the time.
Speaker:And then one day you were, like, subbing for somebody, and I was like, "Oh, there's
Speaker:an interesting teacher actually teaching here I'd never…" And then I was at one
Speaker:of the… I guess it was a couple months after that- Mm-hmm … 'cause I had come
Speaker:to a bunch of your classes there, and then it was a couple months after that,
Speaker:we were at a, the sound bath thing.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And I walked in, and you pointed at me and you're like, "I know
Speaker:you." Mm. And I was like, "Oh, yeah, yeah." Yeah, that's right.
Speaker:And, and then we- It was a home, home sound bath.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And then we figured out that Emily, uh, is a mutual connection, so weird, small town.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Columbus is very small.
Speaker:It is.
Speaker:The longer I'm here, the more I, uh, yeah, realize that.
Speaker:Uh-huh.
Speaker:For better or for worse, I suppose.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I, I still don't know if it's better or for worse.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I don't, I don't either.
Speaker:I think that we share similar feelings about where we live right now.
Speaker:Are you from Columbus?
Speaker:No.
Speaker:I grew up in Cleveland.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Um, and then kinda lived around the world.
Speaker:Lived in Korea for a little bit, lived in London for a bit.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Uh, and then went, lived in Savannah, Georgia.
Speaker:Mm. Went to school down there, and then was in New York for 10 years.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And then I moved here about six years ago for a job-
Speaker:Mm … that I lost during COVID.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:So now I'm trying to figure out what I wanna do next.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:I'm presently unemployed.
Speaker:This is why I have time to do a podcast.
Speaker:This is how it all starts.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Right, right, right.
Speaker:I mean, I'm already shopping for houses 'cause this is a money-maker.
Speaker:This is … I can feel the money rolling in.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Uh, how did you end up getting from Lithuania to Columbus, Ohio, where we are?
Speaker:Um, so this is my second time here, so I kind of moved to Columbus twice.
Speaker:Wow.
Speaker:So it's definitely some karmic… for sure.
Speaker:Something's, something's drawing you here.
Speaker:Why?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Why?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Uh, first time I came, um, gosh, I was 18, and, uh, I got a green card.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:So my mom got a green card.
Speaker:I got a green card because I was under 21.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:And then we just… At that time, it's like 2002 I mean, like, I think
Speaker:flip phones are still the, you know, like- Yeah … we don't have a social
Speaker:media- Right, right … yet, right?
Speaker:So everything is slower- Mm-hmm … and, uh, you know, getting documents
Speaker:and, you know, there's a lot of…
Speaker:There's, uh, many steps in order to get even the green card.
Speaker:There's probably more now.
Speaker:Probably, yes.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Or opposite, they just simplified everything 'cause, yeah.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And, um, yeah, so and we just had w- w- I didn't, I literally didn't even have
Speaker:a, you know, clue where we're going, so we were supposed to go to Florida.
Speaker:But then the company that we found, uh, they said there was no space
Speaker:for us to stay and to work because you need somebody provide you with
Speaker:work- Uh-huh … and a place to stay.
Speaker:So whenever you enter the country, you need an address, but if
Speaker:you don't have anyone, right?
Speaker:So there you go.
Speaker:So Columbus, Ohio.
Speaker:Did you leave Lithuania for…
Speaker:Was there a reason that you left?
Speaker:Oh, no.
Speaker:No.
Speaker:I mean, it was just green card.
Speaker:Just green card.
Speaker:So you're kind of looking for- Okay … opportunities.
Speaker:I'm just graduated from high school, and I mean, I had nothing
Speaker:to lose, so I just end up going.
Speaker:Well, my mom actually told us, "Go there." How was it growing up in Lithuania?
Speaker:Fun.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Now that I look back- Right … absolutely.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Sure It was a lot of fun.
Speaker:It was hard for m- m- my parents- Right … for our parents.
Speaker:I didn't know any better.
Speaker:How was it, how was it hard?
Speaker:Well, you know, what I remember, it's Soviet and then post-Soviet times.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And that's usually when, you know, that's when…
Speaker:I didn't really see my parents much.
Speaker:Oh, okay.
Speaker:So there was a time when, uh, Soviet Union collapsed, and everyone, everyone had
Speaker:to just go and just make money, hustle.
Speaker:Right, right, right.
Speaker:Hustle, basically.
Speaker:You're either hustling or you're hustling.
Speaker:There's no other way.
Speaker:And your parents figured out how to hustle?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:My mom, my mom figured out quite quickly.
Speaker:She was- Yeah, I was in Russia, like, two years after the, the Soviet
Speaker:Union collapsed, and it was just corruption, and mafia kind of was-
Speaker:Yeah … the rule of the day at the time.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It was a lot of that, uh, kind of, um, you're basically, uh, lawless kind
Speaker:of experience because the government, you know, there is transition- Right
Speaker:transmutation- Right … you know, transformation.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:So people would just take advantage of weak people.
Speaker:Like they do.
Speaker:Always.
Speaker:Always.
Speaker:Always.
Speaker:Gosh, you traveled a lot.
Speaker:Korea, London, Russia.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Iceland, I just learned.
Speaker:Well, that was just, like, that wasn't living.
Speaker:That was just visiting.
Speaker:But yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:I have a… I've been trying to get… Like, I'm unemployed, so I said no
Speaker:I'm trying to get a, a remote job so I can kind of do the n- digital
Speaker:nomad thing because- Mm-hmm … I'm 51, I'm unattached, I have no kids.
Speaker:What am I doing here?
Speaker:What am I doing?
Speaker:Y- yeah.
Speaker:You know what I mean?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Like- I ask myself the same question.
Speaker:But you, but you have a partner, so that's something, right?
Speaker:I mean, you know.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:You know, it's like every single situation has its pluses and minuses.
Speaker:It sure does.
Speaker:It sure does.
Speaker:It's, you always compromise.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:If it's not with your internal voice, then with the- Yeah
Speaker:… people around you, you know?
Speaker:I always feel like I'm kind of in- A hurry Mm-hmm
Speaker:like, my kind of MO is, like, I'm, I'm, I'm… And it's a thing I always have
Speaker:worked on and am working on, but, like, patience, 'cause I feel like we've only
Speaker:got this one, this one life, right?
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And I don't feel… And I feel like I gotta, I gotta do the stuff, right?
Speaker:I gotta live the thing.
Speaker:Um, and I feel like that is why I get mad at people while I'm driving.
Speaker:'Cause you're interfering with my life.
Speaker:You're, you're taking my time away.
Speaker:This is your hypothesis.
Speaker:This is how I can justify it.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:I'll go… Yeah, so doing therapy on Monday.
Speaker:Um- Do you think it's related for, um, like, a lot with the age
Speaker:and just, you know, transitioning into the other half of century?
Speaker:I think I've already… I mean, believe me, poss- I- I've always been like
Speaker:this, so I think it's not really that.
Speaker:I do think that, um, at a certain point, I don't know, it was probably, I don't
Speaker:know, five years ago- Mm … after I'd moved here, I always kind of was
Speaker:feeling like I was living, and maybe you can relate, maybe you can't, but
Speaker:I always felt like I was living for, like, some future moment- Mm-hmm
Speaker:you know, that was coming.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And that this wasn't life- Mm-hmm … you know?
Speaker:And one day, I just kind of snapped in me, and I was like, "Oh, no, this
Speaker:is, this is it. This is the thing that we're all…" Mm. You know what I mean?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It seems, like, simple, but it, it struck me as being really profound- Yeah … and,
Speaker:like, meaningful in a weird, bizarre way.
Speaker:So.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Um, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, I hear you, and this is just kind of, you know the concepts.
Speaker:There, there's so many concepts, but then you need to have that felt sense- Right
Speaker:… embodied present moment to- Right … be like, okay, there's, th- this is it.
Speaker:There's no past.
Speaker:There's no future.
Speaker:And this is it- Yeah … right here, right now.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I wanted to make T-shirts that said This Is It for a while.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:But I asked a few people if they'd like that, and they were like, "We'd think
Speaker:of the Michael Jackson album." Oh.
Speaker:'Cause he had that album.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:And so I nixed that idea.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I d- I made one for myself though, and people seemed to
Speaker:like it, but then it got a stain.
Speaker:Good story.
Speaker:I like This Is It with a stain or a coffee stain.
Speaker:I don't know what the stain was.
Speaker:Blood stain would be even better.
Speaker:Um, so, uh, so tr- uh, uh, culture shock coming from
Speaker:Lithuania to the United States?
Speaker:Did you speak the language at the time, or?
Speaker:Mm.
Speaker:By the way, who is listening, we're drinking, uh, Topo Chico.
Speaker:Oh, yes, this podcast sponsored by Topo Chico.
Speaker:Topo Chico.
Speaker:We are open for sponsorship.
Speaker:Thank you very much, by the way.
Speaker:Uh, always appreciate that.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Uh, cultural shock.
Speaker:You know when, when you're 18, you're like you just won the world, you know?
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:You're like, "Ah."
Speaker:Mm-hmm You know?
Speaker:Was it scary?
Speaker:Yeah, of course.
Speaker:Was it uncomfortable?
Speaker:Absolutely.
Speaker:But that's when you do crazy stuff- Sure … when you're young- Yeah
Speaker:… because you're just, just going to the next thing, and to the next thing.
Speaker:It seems like it could be kind of an amazing time to move to a
Speaker:new country when you're just 18, because it's like almost- Yeah
Speaker:yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:It's like, you know, you can, you can explore and do whatever.
Speaker:And I'm so happy, so happy I did it when social media was not
Speaker:around- Right … smartphones were n- you know, not there yet.
Speaker:Right, right.
Speaker:So I really got a chance to experience, uh, States and, uh, here
Speaker:Columbus, Ohio from the street level.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And what were your initial, if you can remember, your initial, like,
Speaker:thoughts about Columbus, Ohio?
Speaker:But it was the first place you were in the States, right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So it's- Yeah … yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker:So at that point, you know, and again, y- you only-
Speaker:You only create an opinion when you s- when you have
Speaker:something compare with Right.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:So you're only comparing it to Lithuania.
Speaker:So I'm like, oh, just comparing to Lithuania when things are just picking up.
Speaker:Think about 2002, 1990, 1992, this is when it, like, all started collapsing, so we
Speaker:really had only, what, 10 years to- Right … bounce, you know, change currency.
Speaker:It's, it's… Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So, um, what I thought about it, was it cultural shock?
Speaker:Probably was.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:I don't remember that, you know.
Speaker:How was it, to be honest?
Speaker:And did you… You were 18, so what did you do?
Speaker:Were you gonna school or did you get a job or?
Speaker:Oh my gosh.
Speaker:So with a green card, there is, like, a loop in the system.
Speaker:Uh-huh.
Speaker:You cannot get a job if you don't have a Social Security, but also you
Speaker:need to wait for Social Security.
Speaker:So you have a green card but you don't have Social Security, and you
Speaker:cannot really, like, go and just, you know, get your employment.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And back then, you didn't get your Social Security number in,
Speaker:like, what, two, three months.
Speaker:It takes forever.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:So, uh, yeah, illegal job in a hotel.
Speaker:Oh, illegal job in a hotel?
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Great.
Speaker:For three months.
Speaker:Um, which hotel was it, if you don't mind?
Speaker:I don't know if it's- Uh- … uh, there anymore.
Speaker:Uh, Hyatt on- Yeah … Capitol Square.
Speaker:Oh, yeah, I think it was Hyatt.
Speaker:I think that's actually where I- It was there … they put me up when I came
Speaker:in for the job interview for the job that I moved here for, weirdly enough.
Speaker:Oh, okay.
Speaker:Maybe it was the Hilton.
Speaker:Doesn't matter.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But, but then it was like, oh, yeah.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:So w- we live in the, uh, we were staying in the Whitehall.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:I- And then the bus.
Speaker:So you take bus to the Broad Street, and you just go into this big building.
Speaker:Wow.
Speaker:You're a little tiny person.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So it was fun.
Speaker:But you were- It was fun … and you knew the language already.
Speaker:No.
Speaker:No, you didn't.
Speaker:Wow.
Speaker:So I learned it, uh, German in, uh, school.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:And then, uh, supposed to, the plan was to study in, uh, un- um, German university.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:And then green card happened, so I just had to r- r- like,
Speaker:just, just learn English.
Speaker:Wow.
Speaker:And how- Yeah, so we did the, um, uh, I, I took some, um, classes,
Speaker:some private lessons with one of the teachers and then… But you only
Speaker:learn the language when you speak the language, when you- Sure … so that.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I'm trying to learn Spanish, but it's just not… When I was in Mexico, I
Speaker:realized I should know more Spanish.
Speaker:But- If you- Yeah … don't practice, it's, you know.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:It's a memory.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Um, so was it, how long, how long do you think it took you to get from zero
Speaker:to- To what we are speaking, right?
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:To basically this, yeah.
Speaker:And seems like, yeah, it's still, uh Being able to teach yoga and stuff, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, h- who knows, you know?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:'Cause I moved here, stayed here, but then I left nine years after that.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Like, I had a 10-year gap where I mainly s- you know, talk in,
Speaker:uh, uh, Russian and Lithuanian.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:So I was just kind of forgetting and coming back to it, but after nine years
Speaker:of being here, you just, you just, you just kind of stay with the language.
Speaker:I will tell you though, um, after a while I found out that I can, um,
Speaker:apply for, um, financial support, uh, studying in college and university.
Speaker:Mm. And that's when I went to Columbus State Community College.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:ESL.
Speaker:And then eventually, I think when I already, uh, got to OSU-
Speaker:Okay … that's when I'm, "Oh, w- okay, I, I think I'm getting it."
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:I can write papers- Right … without ChatGPT and, uh, you know.
Speaker:So, yeah.
Speaker:It is helpful.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So you lived in Columbus for nine years, and you… Where did you… Where, where
Speaker:were you doing in those nine years?
Speaker:When did the… Well, we can get to when… Let me know when the yoga starts,
Speaker:but- Yeah … like, the nine years in, in Columbus, you're how old at this point?
Speaker:Ni- 18 to, what, like, 20-whatever, 7.
Speaker:25 25, I think.
Speaker:25, yeah.
Speaker:Um, yeah, so basically, uh, quite, very fast found out I can study.
Speaker:So for me it was, "Okay, I'm staying." My mom, we, we came together.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:We stayed for, um, six months.
Speaker:She decided to come back because at the time, uh, she has, had a boyfriend.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:But they were not married.
Speaker:So she's like, "I'm going home." Okay.
Speaker:And I'm like, "Okay, I'm staying 'cause I have this chance to, you
Speaker:know, try something." Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:"So I'll stay." So I went to Columbus, the college.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Stay there, and then realize I can go to OSU.
Speaker:So basically that whole time it kept me, you know, going.
Speaker:So I think, yeah.
Speaker:And it took me a while to graduate, to be honest.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Just because I was working several jobs- Yeah, mm-hmm … and kind
Speaker:of supporting myself at that time.
Speaker:Grinding.
Speaker:So yeah.
Speaker:And so I would just take classes, not take classes, you know?
Speaker:Yeah, go back home, visit my family.
Speaker:And what were you like at this point in your life?
Speaker:Like- Uh, partying Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Mm-hmm Gotta do it Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah Yeah.
Speaker:We were partying hard Yeah.
Speaker:Okay And that was not, like, associated with, um, always your, um, kind of
Speaker:group of people Right There are a few friends that- Right … kind of, you
Speaker:know, stayed together, but majority it was my Russian-speaking community Okay.
Speaker:Is there a big Russian-speaking community in- I think now it
Speaker:is and grown that time, yeah.
Speaker:But it also was this everybody eventually knows.
Speaker:Everyone knows everyone Right, especially if you're in such a
Speaker:small- Yeah, yeah, yeah … town.
Speaker:Yeah Yeah, exactly.
Speaker:So Big Yeah Big enough-ish Right Yeah Right Yeah, yeah So then why
Speaker:did you decide to leave Columbus?
Speaker:Why on earth would you ever wanna leave Columbus, Ohio?
Speaker:Yeah, right.
Speaker:I know.
Speaker:I mean… I mean, I knew it's gonna happen.
Speaker:Like, I rem- I… There's, you know, certain, certain… Just like with
Speaker:your felt sense of present moment.
Speaker:Right Certain moments you're just, "This is it." Time to go.
Speaker:I knew.
Speaker:I was driving the highway one day, and it was the summertime, and
Speaker:there's just concrete everywhere.
Speaker:And I looked around like, "I, I, I cannot be here" Yeah "I just can't" Yeah So
Speaker:I was just waiting until I graduate.
Speaker:And nothing was really keeping me… I didn't have relationships.
Speaker:Right And then I just, "Okay, I can just go reconnect with my family and decide
Speaker:what I'm going to do next." Right.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So you went back to Lithuania?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Sold all my little, very little belongings.
Speaker:Oh, I love it.
Speaker:Okay, yeah.
Speaker:Got a good deal for the car, and yeah.
Speaker:That's good.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:That's it.
Speaker:So then you're back in Lithuania and… Oh, back in Lithuania
Speaker:and, oh, God, that was messy.
Speaker:Oh, was it?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:In what way?
Speaker:I was depressed.
Speaker:Mm. You missed Columbus.
Speaker:Yes, exactly.
Speaker:I missed Columbus.
Speaker:That happens to everybody apparently- Oh, yeah … when you bucket.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:You know, and now I'm here.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Now you're back.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Um, y- it… Yeah, you just, you graduate, you don't know what to do.
Speaker:Well, you're living with your mom again, too, which is hard.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, at that age.
Speaker:Um, I went back.
Speaker:Well, I ha- I have really good relationships with my mom.
Speaker:That's good.
Speaker:And, um, I end up traveling and coming back and forth.
Speaker:And I went back, actually, to the States.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:The, uh, um, stayed for, like, six months, and I figured I just
Speaker:need to continue the education.
Speaker:So I end up, um, yeah, end up flying to Scotland, Edinburgh, and
Speaker:studying in Edinburgh University.
Speaker:Oh, right on.
Speaker:That's a pretty town.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Giant fucking castle right in the middle of town.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Nobody can complain about that, right?
Speaker:No.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Not like Columbus at all.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:That's what we need, is a castle in the middle of town.
Speaker:We
Speaker:need to turn it down a little bit in Columbus.
Speaker:I don't know what we need to turn down, though, but maybe we could turn down
Speaker:Buckeye football just a little bit.
Speaker:Cult.
Speaker:Um- … we can do… This, uh, this episode also sponsored by Columbus, Ohio.
Speaker:The lovely city of Columbus, Ohio.
Speaker:Um… To be honest, you know, like, what I, I, I w- I found
Speaker:myself, like, like, being bitter.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And then, you know, again, it hit me another way, uh, when, um, my
Speaker:partner and I were talking and I was, you know… Can we curse here?
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Oh, yeah.
Speaker:I was bitching about, you know, w- w- where I wanna go, what I wanna do,
Speaker:and how I miss home, and he's like, "Well, you realize this is my home.
Speaker:This is where I was born.
Speaker:This is my land." Right.
Speaker:Whether it's pretty, not pretty, this and this.
Speaker:And I'm like, "Ah." Of course, selfish of me, 'cause then I took
Speaker:him to Lithuania to where I grew up.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And he's like, "This is not pretty at all," because it's a post-Soviet-
Speaker:Oh, right … uh, area of, you know, three or four factories
Speaker:that don't even function anymore.
Speaker:Right, right.
Speaker:And it's just, like, very depressing, um, five stories Soviet buildings.
Speaker:You know- Huh … nothing pretty about that.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:But it's my land.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:And it's pretty- Right … for me.
Speaker:Yeah, I kinda wanna know what it looks like now.
Speaker:S- yeah, so.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So it's, you know, it's, it's, it's, that's what it is.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:So for me, it's kind of like I chose to be here, and there's a moment when
Speaker:I will choose to go somewhere else.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I just feel like I get, I think I get stir-crazy.
Speaker:I mean, I was in New York for 10 years, and that was the longest I think I've
Speaker:ever been in one place- Mm-hmm … for, except for when, like, childhood,
Speaker:you know, when I was growing up.
Speaker:And I just, you know, I don't know how long I expected to be here, but
Speaker:it's been s- like six and a half years now, and I'm just starting to feel,
Speaker:I don't know, like I've gotten all that I can get from here or something.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:But then again, everywhere you go, there you are.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:If there's one thing I've learned- Yeah … you know, wherever you go,
Speaker:you're still there with your head.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So it goes.
Speaker:So it goes.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:There… And, and I feel bad 'cause we've been not giving Columbus good,
Speaker:good… There's very wonderful- Release
Speaker:there's wonderful people here.
Speaker:Very, very friendly.
Speaker:Very low cost of living.
Speaker:Uh- There's a lot of pluses.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:There's some.
Speaker:Just wish there was a little more terrain, you know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Like, just a little bit.
Speaker:Little bit, you know.
Speaker:A mountain or two.
Speaker:Um, so how did the… At that point in this… Oh, I gotta go back.
Speaker:W- your dad not in the picture?
Speaker:What was the, what's the story?
Speaker:Oh, yeah.
Speaker:That's right.
Speaker:I, mm, didn't catch that.
Speaker:Uh, well, you know, my parents divorced early, and, um- How
Speaker:old were you when that happened?
Speaker:What's that?
Speaker:How old were you when they…?
Speaker:Um- It started around when I was probably like nine, eight- Okay … 10.
Speaker:So- So old enough to remember?
Speaker:Yeah, old enough to remember.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker:And it was just, you know, we would keep in touch.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:But not, not like any- Right, right, right … good relationship, so to say.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Right, right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So you're back in Lithuania, and you are depressed because
Speaker:you're back in Lithuania.
Speaker:Maybe you're feeling purposeless.
Speaker:Who knows what it is?
Speaker:Purposeless.
Speaker:You know, what do you do?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Then I go to Scotland, you know, studied there.
Speaker:Oh, that's right, Scotland.
Speaker:There is a moment in Scotland, again, another m- that moment when you're like,
Speaker:"Do I turn left or do I turn right?" Yep And again, it turned the wrong direction.
Speaker:Well, you know.
Speaker:I had to, you know, make a, like, final decision to start studying, and
Speaker:everything in my body was saying, "No." And I wish… You know, I remember I had
Speaker:a conversation on the phone with my mom.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And I told her, just a few weeks ago when we were talking, like,
Speaker:"I wish you would just tell me, 'Don't do it. Just don't do it.'"
Speaker:Why do you think you shouldn't have done it?
Speaker:'Cause I was just… I, I was lost.
Speaker:Yeah, you were.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:I know, and it just… When you're lost and you're in kind of this
Speaker:kind of survival mode, you like, you just grab onto anything.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Anything that will anchor you down and anything that give you some kind
Speaker:of sense of, "All right, I'm here."
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:"I know what to do." Right.
Speaker:Which I'm obviously don't know what I'm doing.
Speaker:This is, this is who I am right now.
Speaker:This is who I am right now.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And you know, there's a bunch of concepts of idea if I'm gonna
Speaker:get my master's, yadi-ya, ya.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:You know, all of these things, so.
Speaker:What'd you study?
Speaker:Public health.
Speaker:Oh, okay.
Speaker:Ugh.
Speaker:Oh oh, no?
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:No.
Speaker:No, no, no.
Speaker:I just didn't enjoy it.
Speaker:I don't- Yeah … really enjoy academics after all.
Speaker:I lo- I love studying, researching, you know, um, but academics, it's, it's
Speaker:just a different- It is … animal.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:You have to really have, like, a very, like, a very specific mindset in order
Speaker:to stay there and be there and- Yeah
Speaker:and I'm really bad at tests.
Speaker:Bad.
Speaker:Bad.
Speaker:So bad.
Speaker:Um, yeah, I can r- when I was in Korea, I lived in Korea for, like, two
Speaker:years teaching English, and I was kind of aimless, and I just went there.
Speaker:And, uh, I knew I had to leave 'cause I… people stayed there too long 'cause
Speaker:it was just a good life and you're having fun with all these expats and stuff.
Speaker:And, uh, and I was like, "Well, I'm either gonna go…" At the time, I was
Speaker:really interested in Middle Eastern studies, and it was, like, Middle
Speaker:Eastern studies or I'd always been documenting things my whole life.
Speaker:I was really into film.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And I kinda taught myself how to edit when I was there, so I was like, "Well,
Speaker:film school or Middle Eastern studies?"
Speaker:So I applied to both.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And ended up going to film school and going into a lot of debt,
Speaker:but that's a whole 'nother story.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Uh, but, like, I'm… That was the right direction for me because, like, I look
Speaker:back and I'm like, "I could never have done Middle Eastern studies." Yeah.
Speaker:Jesus.
Speaker:Like, finishing all those…
Speaker:You have to read all these books, all these papers.
Speaker:I- dude.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And film school was great because thir- it's not about tests or anything,
Speaker:it's just about doing creative stuff, and it was- Yeah … yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Remind me, though, uh, did you actually, after graduating, did that… was
Speaker:your main occupation around, uh, film?
Speaker:Yeah, no, I'm mostly an e- like, a video editor.
Speaker:That was my last… my jobs for, you know.
Speaker:I directed some stuff.
Speaker:I had, like, sever- I made some short films y- like, when I was in New York.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And they, they did well.
Speaker:Um, uh, they were short films.
Speaker:They did, they did well.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:But they're… Like, it's very hard to make films.
Speaker:You need a lot of people and a lot of money.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, and, uh, yeah, and the last thing I made was really good but didn't do very
Speaker:well for v- variety of reasons, and it was just like… I think I had a realization,
Speaker:not to get too down the rabbit hole, but, like- And it's some part of this
Speaker:podcast really is like, um, I'm- this last project I made, it was a web series.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And, you know, it was really… it was fun to make, but again, we
Speaker:were thinking about the future.
Speaker:What's this gonna, who's gonna, who's gonna see this, right?
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Is this gonna get us a door open and whatever, you know?
Speaker:And, uh, and it didn't, and it was surprising 'cause
Speaker:everybody seemed to love it.
Speaker:And then I think I had a realization where it's like the, the, the,
Speaker:the, the joy has to come from the doing of the thing itself- Mm-hmm
Speaker:not from the expected or hoping, hoped outcome, right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It has to come from the experience of doing the actual thing.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Uh, which brings me to the podcast, which is like, you know, if people
Speaker:listen in, they don't listen again, Topo Chico, we will take your sponsorship.
Speaker:But, like, for me, it's just, like, almost an excuse just to,
Speaker:just to talk to people- Mm-hmm
Speaker:and then to make something creative out of it.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, and I'm enjoying it for the most part.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Anyway, um- But can I say something?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Have you seen Brutalist?
Speaker:I did.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Do you remember the, her speech when she says it's not about the journey,
Speaker:it's actually about the destination?
Speaker:When she did the switch, yeah.
Speaker:'Cause it's also about the context, you know?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:For sure.
Speaker:That was- I mean, the context that she was in and- For sure … not why
Speaker:it was about the destination, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, that was an interesting film.
Speaker:So you finished the public health.
Speaker:Uh-huh.
Speaker:And then?
Speaker:And then I get even more depressed.
Speaker:Oh, life.
Speaker:Oh, life.
Speaker:Life, life, life.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And, uh, and then I get, uh, go back home to Lithuania, like, okay,
Speaker:summertime, I can stay, hang out.
Speaker:It's fun.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And then I'm just gonna go back to the States and continue- Mm-hmm … something.
Speaker:And then I meet a boy.
Speaker:Mm. Oh, here we go.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:That's what happens.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I end up staying.
Speaker:In Scotland.
Speaker:In Lithuania.
Speaker:Lithuania.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So, yeah, into six years- Wow … of relationships, yeah.
Speaker:Wow.
Speaker:But six years is a long time, like, that's good.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Yeah, so, and then- Break up And how's- He's been- … the depression, like,
Speaker:uh, I'm feeling like at some point we're getting to a place where we realize that
Speaker:the depression is coming from inside and perhaps not in changing things around
Speaker:you, but in, you know, changing- Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Absolutely.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:But the, the six years with the boyfriend were good?
Speaker:Mm. Oh, no, no.
Speaker:Oh, okay.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:I like it.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:I, um, I don't wanna go into details.
Speaker:No, all right.
Speaker:Let's, let's keep the- It's all right.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:That would be another theme for the podcast.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Right, right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Different ep- Mm-hmm … episode.
Speaker:Next second episode.
Speaker:I've learned a lot.
Speaker:It was very interesting, uh, experience for me, uh, for,
Speaker:yeah, for those relationships.
Speaker:Open up a lot of doors for esoteric world.
Speaker:They, they make you see yourself as well.
Speaker:Like, I mean, I'm not sure… What do you mean by that, I guess is my question.
Speaker:Oh, just the, the person that I was dating.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Uh, just he opened a lot of doors of, of, of something I never considered.
Speaker:Now you have to tell me what this… Tell me one of the doors.
Speaker:Like tantra, for instance.
Speaker:Oh, okay.
Speaker:So he kinda opened your door- Yeah … the door to the, to the
Speaker:yoga kind of world then, uh- Uh, yeah
Speaker:okay … like something that is, you know, beyond a everyday life and just linearity
Speaker:of- Right … past, present, future.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Different type of conversation.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Different way of spending time.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Different- It's funny how meeting just, like meeting a person kind of changes your
Speaker:life in ways that you don't expect because you're introduced to this whole other way
Speaker:of thinking that you didn't even- Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah … right, wasn't even on your radar.
Speaker:Uh-huh.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So then through him or, uh… Keep going.
Speaker:You're, you, you, six years with the situation- 'Cause you really wanna
Speaker:learn about yoga, it seems like to me.
Speaker:No, I mean, that's how I know you.
Speaker:I'm just curious to know, I, I, I think I'm just curious about, like it's,
Speaker:it's interesting to meet people who'd come from other places in the city.
Speaker:You know what I mean?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:And, and, and I enjoy the experience of being like a, um, a traveler
Speaker:because I like feeling like a stranger.
Speaker:Like- Mm … I don't know what it is about it, but feeling like a
Speaker:foreigner in a foreign country.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I really enjoy that experience.
Speaker:Um, so to me it's interesting too, 'cause Columbus is a very homogenous- Yeah
Speaker:yeah, city.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And so to come across a yoga teacher that was not from here was surprising to me.
Speaker:Um- Yeah.
Speaker:And actually like even teaching here, and I don't even know
Speaker:many foreign, foreigners- Right.
Speaker:No … in, in yoga studios.
Speaker:No.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's super, super white.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, well, relationships wa- k- I kinda went back and forth.
Speaker:I, I, I lived in, uh, London probably all together for maybe a year and a half- Okay
Speaker:… or two years, something like that.
Speaker:Um, and then, um, yeah, and then, uh, my family and I, we
Speaker:opened a vegetarian bistro.
Speaker:Oh, nice.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And it was, it was-
Speaker:It was, it was a fun experience, but, you know, when you're small business,
Speaker:you have to really, like, you have to have a plan what you're going to do next.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And then if you're, you know, you're not doing the next
Speaker:thing, it's just gonna kill you.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Was this in Lithuania?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And then, uh, eventually I just, I, I just got exhausted.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:So it, it was kind of a, uh, the, the moment of getting exhausted from
Speaker:relation, in the relationships- Uh-huh
Speaker:and also, um, work.
Speaker:And I had a very interesting encounter.
Speaker:Um, let's call this person a healer.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:And they basically told me that, "Whatever you're doing, you, you gotta
Speaker:stop 'cause you're, you know, you're gonna have consequences." And I knew
Speaker:it because it was a lot of stress.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Um, and a lot of just keep going, keep going, keep going.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:And you're not sure where are we going, and you're like, "I don't
Speaker:think I'm enjoying this moment.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:It's not bringing me joy.
Speaker:I'd rather go to just destination." So that was the moment, and that
Speaker:happened to me several times in life when I hit the point when we're done.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I packed my bags and I just went for three months to Norway so I can
Speaker:decide what I'm going to do next.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:And you- And that was a new chapter in my life.
Speaker:How did you stumble upon the guy who gave you the, gave you the advice?
Speaker:Or gave you, told you the- Through my, uh, boyfriend at the time.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:That checks out.
Speaker:'Cause he was taking care of his mom, and I just went together, end up,
Speaker:you know, getting a session as well.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So it was a very health re- related, and I knew that.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:It just, just a matter of time when something's gonna happen.
Speaker:It's ironic that you were working in… You, oh, you were running a
Speaker:vegetarian restaurant at the time when your… It was health-related.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Think about the yoga studios, though.
Speaker:I hear it all the time.
Speaker:Like what?
Speaker:You know, studios, um, the, the, the business aspect of it and how
Speaker:people are- Yeah … overworked and- Yeah … gotta really know
Speaker:how to handle your stuff, you know?
Speaker:So the, the, the paradox and- Uh-huh.
Speaker:Mm-hmm … yeah.
Speaker:'Cause it's gotta be, it's gotta be a money-making venture, but
Speaker:also you're trying to be- A bench.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And then you're… Yeah, so there's… Yeah.
Speaker:How do you walk that line?
Speaker:Mm. Right.
Speaker:Mm. And it does seem like the teacher training thing, it just seems like
Speaker:it's so expensive and, like… I mean, I was gonna do it at one point-
Speaker:Mm-hmm … but it was like $3,000.
Speaker:And, like, I don't wanna be a yoga teacher, I just wanna go through the
Speaker:philosophy and all that kind of thing.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:I just wanted to… But it was, it was way too much money for my
Speaker:kind of, uh, um, for my… Yeah.
Speaker:It was too much for me at the time.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, and I think I'm glad I didn't do it, frankly.
Speaker:But the studio's gotta make money, so- Yeah … you know, you gotta do it.
Speaker:Well, you know, everyone's doing for their own reason.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Different reasons.
Speaker:That's the first thing.
Speaker:And I, I will con- I will disagree.
Speaker:I think 3,000 for States, it's normal money.
Speaker:No, I'm not saying it was crazy expensive for, like, a- Yeah
Speaker:… teacher, teacher training at all.
Speaker:No.
Speaker:'Cause, like, I know the work.
Speaker:There are a lot of work- Yeah, yeah, yeah … that's put behind the scenes
Speaker:and- No, I wasn't, I wasn't suggesting it was expensive for teacher training.
Speaker:Teacher training.
Speaker:It was- It's for you.
Speaker:For me.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Gotcha.
Speaker:Gotcha.
Speaker:Gotcha.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I feel like they shouldn't call it teacher training almost.
Speaker:I feel like they should call it, like, I don't know, deepen
Speaker:your practice or something.
Speaker:Mm. 'Cause I don't think most people are gonna go and be teachers.
Speaker:They're not.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Some do, some not.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Right, right.
Speaker:And it's kinda like this… It's just this is the evolution
Speaker:of yoga in the first place.
Speaker:You know, you just… It's, it cannot stay the same- Yeah … no matter what.
Speaker:You do have the ancient wisdom, but some of it will just evolve as we're changing.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So it is probably we should call it something else now, but it is what it-
Speaker:You mean the whole- The teacher training … the whole yoga thing or teacher training?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And the whole yoga probably is to be honest.
Speaker:A new name for yoga?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Well, let's try to think of one.
Speaker:Embodied practice or- Right … I don't know.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:That's, that's… That doesn't have a ring to it.
Speaker:Yoga's got a good two syllables, yoga.
Speaker:Yeah, yoga.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's pretty good.
Speaker:But with the teacher training, uh, it's just, yeah, it's, it
Speaker:just became available, accessible.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:If you really think about it, at least, like, I can speak from my perspective or
Speaker:the, the, the stories that I've heard.
Speaker:Even, like, in '80s, '80s, '90s, like, in, in this Soviet, uh,
Speaker:times, it wasn't… Like, you had to look for the information of yoga.
Speaker:Like, it would be some scraps of copies of paper- Right … just given to you
Speaker:underground in some basements- Mm … and people, like, secretly study and practice.
Speaker:Huh.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:So for a while it was not available.
Speaker:Now it's available.
Speaker:Now you can just, you know- It's everywhere.
Speaker:It's everywhere.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:When you were in Lithuania, were you, were you… Was there, were there yoga
Speaker:studios and stuff like- Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Studios, it was… I was practicing there more of a classic.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Classic- Right … uh, kind of.
Speaker:You just… You're not very adjusted.
Speaker:You just, you just practice.
Speaker:Do you remember the first time you, you went, you did yoga?
Speaker:I went to the gym.
Speaker:I was here in the States in Columbus.
Speaker:Oh, okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And, um, yeah, and then I just… I, I reached the point, I think it was,
Speaker:like, around 25, 24, when I would be in the party and I would just- Ask myself,
Speaker:"What's the point of everything?"
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Like, yeah- Yeah … we're getting into that.
Speaker:So I would just ask people random questions.
Speaker:People like, "What are, what are you talking about?" So
Speaker:I met- Have another drink.
Speaker:What are you doing?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:And eventually drink yourself into like- Right, and then to, yeah … you
Speaker:know, like, "Yeah, let's go blah, blah."
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:And then the next morning you wake up like, "Wait a second." Y- yeah.
Speaker:"Something is off here." Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And the thing is also was about a, uh, I took a, uh, Asian philosophy class- Okay
Speaker:… in the OSU, and I think that was also already moving, grooving stuff for me.
Speaker:Huh.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:What, what about it do you, do you remember anything particular?
Speaker:Um, j- I mean, just the, just a whole new way of looking at life.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Just, just that was fascinating and so novel for me.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:So I think that was plenty on just, just kind of sit down with that and
Speaker:contemplate and, you know- Right.
Speaker:Right, right … try to understand.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Huh, interesting.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:So, um, you're, you're infant- you're in Norway, you're at the,
Speaker:in the fj- by the fjords By the fjords … you're, you're work-
Speaker:Yeah … what are you doing for work?
Speaker:I was working in the hotel.
Speaker:Okay, hotel.
Speaker:Housekeeping, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I worked behind the front desk at the hotel in London.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Didn't love it, but there was a crazy Turkish woman who was the
Speaker:boss, and she literally was…
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Well, London crazy enough for what it is, you know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:I mean, I liked her- It was fun … and she, she still, like,
Speaker:follows me on Instagram, so that's- There you go … yeah, yeah.
Speaker:You still keep that connection.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:We got that real strong bond still.
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Talk about the old days a lot.
Speaker:Remember that time you yelled at me for moving the boxes?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um- Oh, those are sweet times, though.
Speaker:Oh, they were.
Speaker:What, what are they- How old were you?
Speaker:How old were you?
Speaker:I'm 51.
Speaker:No, how old were you when you were in London?
Speaker:At the hotel?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:26, 27. Okay.
Speaker:Sometime.
Speaker:Yeah, so- Yeah … good times.
Speaker:Yeah, it was good.
Speaker:I was not in a good…
Speaker:I, I didn't know what was going on with me or I was just
Speaker:kind of in a weird, you know?
Speaker:I hadn't- Mm-hmm … yeah.
Speaker:But I did enjoy it.
Speaker:Yeah, I got to travel over Europe and stuff, and that was fun.
Speaker:Um- Yeah … yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, it was good.
Speaker:It's kind of like a work that you just don't have to invest
Speaker:too much of your attention.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:You clock in and you clock out, and then you go and, you know, have fun.
Speaker:And most of the time I was just, like, on the computer-
Speaker:Yeah … 'cause it was still… Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It was exciting.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, it is interesting, though, that growing up in Lithuania, did you
Speaker:get… You, I mean, you got to see a lot of Europe, like, that's where you
Speaker:traveled probably, right, when you went?
Speaker:Some.
Speaker:People expect, but I didn't really travel that much.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:I think I'm catching up now.
Speaker:Oh, okay.
Speaker:Every time I go home, I'm like- Right … we're going
Speaker:there, there, there, and there.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I just end up staying longer in places, so that was just a different
Speaker:experience- Right … because one thing when you just go there and stay
Speaker:for a week or two, but you actually immerse yourself into, oh, this is
Speaker:what commute like is in London- Yeah
Speaker:every single day- Yeah … from zone one to two to… You know?
Speaker:And then this is, this is, ah, this is how you spend half of
Speaker:your life in London underground.
Speaker:That was the moment when I realized this city is eating me, and I cannot… Yeah,
Speaker:I, I, I don't live my life anymore.
Speaker:The subway?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Or the- And just the city itself
Speaker:tube?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:The tube, the just, just, you know, the commute, the just
Speaker:from point A to point B. Yeah.
Speaker:I lived in the hotel that I worked at, so it was great.
Speaker:I just walked upstairs.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But as a result, I didn't see as much of the city as I would have because I was
Speaker:always stuck in a certain neighborhood.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But, but yeah.
Speaker:Um- Gosh, life is a lot about redundancy, isn't it?
Speaker:It sure is.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So I appreciate this, uh, bringing together just to
Speaker:kind of talk about it Yeah.
Speaker:How often… I was talking to a friend and I was, this is a couple months ago, and I
Speaker:was like, "How often have, when's the last time you just sat down with somebody and
Speaker:talked to them for, like, an hour or two?"
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And he's like, "Uh, I don't actually remember. I mean, we had some
Speaker:beers last week, and, you know, you talk, but it's not, like, a
Speaker:focused… I don't know." Yeah.
Speaker:It seems like a thing that's going away, and I think that it's kind of gone away.
Speaker:COVID did a lot to help it kind of, um, but even before that, I think
Speaker:it kind of was starting to go away, and I think it's community too.
Speaker:Like, you could go on a whole trail about why we're losing the, uh, ability to,
Speaker:like, have conversations- Mm-hmm … and why, but, like, it's unfortunate.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:It's a loss of community is what we've lost.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And it makes me sad.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:So- Norway.
Speaker:Norway.
Speaker:Norway, um, beautiful time.
Speaker:Beautiful time.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:Gosh, amazing time.
Speaker:So good.
Speaker:Made you happy?
Speaker:Ah, it just, like, switched something inside Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Like, the place or the experience in the place?
Speaker:The experience in the place.
Speaker:People, a lot of nomads there.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:People just kind of go from one place to the next, seasonal jobs.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Um, you see cult- like, you know, you see so many different cultures.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:All the cruise ships that just- Oh, right, right, right … you know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's, uh… And then I, I also got very lucky to get there when it was, it
Speaker:was, like, un- anomalically hot summer.
Speaker:Which means how hot was it?
Speaker:Like, it was hot as, probably as it is now here.
Speaker:Oh, wow.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So for Norway, it's very unusual.
Speaker:Right, right.
Speaker:It's usually opposite, and it's quite rainy summertime, and- Right … you
Speaker:don't really get too many sunny days, and that was just three months
Speaker:straight up sun, and you hike and you, you know, swim in the fjord.
Speaker:Mm. We're swimming in the fjord.
Speaker:Mm-hmm, yeah.
Speaker:Come on.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So it's, uh, it was a pure summer.
Speaker:Oh, that's nice.
Speaker:It was a summer, like, European summer experience.
Speaker:It was the movie summer.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:All right … totally.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Eventually, I, uh, uh, 'cause, um, m- my partner, he has, um, Norwegian blood,
Speaker:and then, uh- Okay … we went there back just, you know- You went back … I
Speaker:want, yeah, I wanted to, him to see it.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:The same place?
Speaker:Same place also.
Speaker:Did you, you didn't meet him there?
Speaker:No.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:No, no, no.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:No.
Speaker:Strange though that you ended up, after that Norway thing, that you ended up
Speaker:finding a partner that has Norwegian- Yeah … strange, like- Uh-huh … you know.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Hey, everything's- Yeah, if you look at it the right way, for sure.
Speaker:Ah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Everything is.
Speaker:Yeah, and then some days I'm like, "No, everything's…" You know?
Speaker:If you're look- you can't see me, but- … I can describe with- Yeah, some days-
Speaker:… with these little frantic gestures with my hands … everything feels off.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And that's when they say if it feels off, you just pause, slow
Speaker:down, and just kind of, you know.
Speaker:Yeah, see, that's the hard part for me, that's what way, the
Speaker:slowing down part is the hard part.
Speaker:Mm. Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Mm. Working on it, working on it.
Speaker:Um, it's never too late.
Speaker:No.
Speaker:Um, so N- after Norway, where did you go then?
Speaker:Um, I'm gonna skip part of the story because that's when there was
Speaker:another relationships happening- Okay
Speaker:and, but I don't wanna have this conversation become
Speaker:about the relationships.
Speaker:Yeah, no, that's all right.
Speaker:But that was the moment of, for me, just very transformational
Speaker:because I met somebody.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:And, uh, um, and because I met somebody, I just end up going, whoa, you know,
Speaker:you're just going back and forth, and then you, you know, you change your mind
Speaker:to stay in Europe, not go to the States.
Speaker:So I just end up going back to Lithuania.
Speaker:Right You know, went back to Norway again and, you know,
Speaker:continued the relationships.
Speaker:And then eventually, um, eventually pandemic happened.
Speaker:Mm. February 14th, I think, I came here to the States- Just in time … for this,
Speaker:with a business trip, and, uh, we had to extend the trip because, uh, none, all,
Speaker:like, the paperwork wasn't done on time.
Speaker:So we extended my trip, and that's exactly when everything started to shut down.
Speaker:And you're, you're in Columbus?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It trapped you.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:I know why.
Speaker:I, I, like, I already did my personal work and understood what was
Speaker:happening- Okay … for me at the time.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:So, uh, but it was just interesting that, oh, it's not happening just to me.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:It's happening for me and the rest of the world, you know?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:So everyone's, like, learning something for themselves.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And then my- Yeah … my, uh, my, my ticket was, my ticket back to Lithuania
Speaker:was February 28th, which is my birthday.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:So I'm just, like… And yeah, I never, I never went back.
Speaker:So the gentleman you were dating just was still in Norway at the time?
Speaker:Uh, it was a woman.
Speaker:A woman, okay.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Um, sorry to assume.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Uh, she was in Norway at the time?
Speaker:Um, she was in, in her home country.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So that ha- that's how that ended, because you got stuck in
Speaker:Columbus 'cause of the pandemic?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Wow.
Speaker:So then you've been here ever since.
Speaker:And I've been here ever since.
Speaker:COVID did it.
Speaker:COVID did it, yeah.
Speaker:It was very logical to come here because I already had some good-
Speaker:Right … friends- Right … you know, mm, from back in the day.
Speaker:And, um, it wa- you know, I knew the city, so.
Speaker:But, yeah, but still it's, like, odd to come to a place just thinking you're
Speaker:visiting and then end, ending up having…
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Deep down inside, there probably was many times when I was thinking,
Speaker:"I'm, I'm… I probably need to, you know, go back to the States- All
Speaker:right … one way or another." And then?
Speaker:And sometimes the life, it does it for you.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:You know, like, you know, while you're thinking here, we're gonna do the thing.
Speaker:We're gonna force your- Yeah … force your hand.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Exactly, so.
Speaker:And then there was another mess, you know- Right … being here and, uh, after
Speaker:10 years not being here, no credit card, no, um, what is it, the credit score.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:No, no, no place to stay.
Speaker:You know, you just kind of go, go, go, go, go.
Speaker:So what did you do?
Speaker:Uh, hustled.
Speaker:But I stayed with my friend and then, um, and then I quickly found my partner.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:We kind of, like, we were connected.
Speaker:We know each other for many years.
Speaker:Oh, okay.
Speaker:Over 15 years.
Speaker:So you knew him from the last time you were, your first- Yeah.
Speaker:Oh, wow.
Speaker:I knew him from the very first time.
Speaker:Oh, that's crazy.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So it just, yeah, happened.
Speaker:Oh, I like that.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, and when did the… Did you start getting into the… I'm gonna go into,
Speaker:like, the yoga- Mm … somatic training.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:All that kind of stuff.
Speaker:Um, when did you start getting into, like, heavy into that?
Speaker:Was that in Col- Like, when… Just was that in this last Columbus jaunt, or
Speaker:was it before that that you started too?
Speaker:Columbus 2008, 2009.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So that was the time when, um, I was asking myself a lot of questions
Speaker:that I couldn't get answers.
Speaker:And I, uh, got, uh, very sick for almost two weeks with a high fever.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And then one day I woke up, it was like, um, Friday night, 8:00 PM.
Speaker:Mm. And I'm like, "I'm gonna, I'm gonna do the teacher training.
Speaker:I don't have money, but I'm going to do teacher training." And I f-
Speaker:found a teacher here in Columbus.
Speaker:I emailed her, and I start studying In the next couple months, I think,
Speaker:or something like that Was it just regular yoga or was it the- Hatha,
Speaker:ashtanga and hatha Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, I did, like, a whole thing.
Speaker:I was fasting for a week while, and, you know, studying, and I was
Speaker:just asking too many questions.
Speaker:And then you ended up actually teaching.
Speaker:I didn't, actually.
Speaker:Oh, all right.
Speaker:Fair enough.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:So I, uh, finished the teacher training, and then it was very
Speaker:quick when I got my degree.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And that's when I'm like, "Okay, I'm done here.
Speaker:I need to go b- home." Okay.
Speaker:And I didn't teach for several years, and I barely practiced
Speaker:Um, I lost the flavor of yoga 'cause it was not fixing my problem.
Speaker:Oh, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:'Cause I was putting a lot of ef- like, you know, expectations.
Speaker:Yoga will, will, uh, help me.
Speaker:It's funny how that works.
Speaker:It's like with meditation too.
Speaker:I feel like I can't necessarily… I don't notice that it's working
Speaker:until I notice that it's working- Mm … if you know what I mean.
Speaker:Um, and by working, I mean that I'm actually able to have some distance
Speaker:between myself and my thoughts and whatever, et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker:But, like, it's one of the things that I struggle to maintain as
Speaker:a practice sometimes because the effects aren't immediately
Speaker:apparent, as opposed to, like- Yeah
Speaker:you know what I mean?
Speaker:Like, I know that if I do it, it'll be good for me in the long run because I
Speaker:feel like, to me anyway, it's like a very… It's, it's, it's a path, right?
Speaker:It's not the thing.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But, um, and I think probably the same with yoga too 'cause, like,
Speaker:I'll do it where I'll do it, like, every day for, like, months- Yeah
Speaker:and then suddenly I'll just be like… Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I mean, you have to trust the, um, the tool.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:You gotta trust the tool.
Speaker:And if you don't know how to use it, and if your life, in a way,
Speaker:is messy, you know, it's, it's, it's always implicit and explicit.
Speaker:You cannot yoga your way in… Y- you cannot, by practicing yoga, solve the
Speaker:problems that on the everyday life.
Speaker:You still need to address them.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:For sure.
Speaker:You still gotta eat.
Speaker:You know, you still gotta eat.
Speaker:You st- you still have to show up- Right … for whatever that,
Speaker:you know, whatever that is.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:So and that's when in… It's not just inside and, you know, not just… No.
Speaker:You, you fi- fix your stuff and practice yoga basically.
Speaker:For me, it's part of it.
Speaker:For me, it's part of fixing the stuff.
Speaker:It's all part and package, like- Yeah … fixing me and-
Speaker:Mm-hmm … and those all, yeah.
Speaker:Um, and what, uh, uh, the… So I have no idea, and I've always
Speaker:wondered, what is somatic therapy that, um, that you've been doing?
Speaker:Mm. 'Cause Emily mentioned, I think she did a session and she really liked it.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And I was… Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Well, somatic therapy came to my life, uh, after I entered the space of dance
Speaker:and movement therapy in Lithuania.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:So I did the yoga.
Speaker:I went… You know, that's when I met my, uh, at that time boyfriend.
Speaker:And that's when I started getting into all different kind of practices.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And Lithuania full of that.
Speaker:Very esoteric, very pagan.
Speaker:Uh, you can find anything basically.
Speaker:Huh.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Wonder why that is.
Speaker:Good me- like a, a little mecca for, for this stuff.
Speaker:You know, we have a big festival that, you know, summertime goes for,
Speaker:I can't remember, 10 or, or t- 10 days or two weeks, and they bring
Speaker:all practitioners from all over.
Speaker:Huh.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Why do you think that is?
Speaker:In, like Lithuania just, it seems very somewhat random.
Speaker:I think Lithuania is spiritual.
Speaker:Oh, yeah?
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:There is something about it, just the way… A kind of paganism I think, uh,
Speaker:teaches you a little bit of that, is that, you know, you worship nature.
Speaker:Huh.
Speaker:You worship seasons.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:You worship time
Speaker:Um, the way it changes, you know, you, um… Yeah.
Speaker:So the relationship with environment- Right … is- Right … you know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:More intimate- For sure … I would say.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So, and, um, yeah, I don't remember how I got into this dance and
Speaker:movement therapy, but I entered the space, and it just cracked me open.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:It was just instant.
Speaker:Something just that was like another, things are just not gonna be the same.
Speaker:Huh.
Speaker:And they weren't.
Speaker:The movement, the expression, the vulnerability in the
Speaker:group of people was just
Speaker:Insane What, what is it, if you don't mind me… I'm, I'm ignorant of what
Speaker:somatic yoga, or what somatic therapy actually is So somatic therapy is,
Speaker:like, umbrella term Okay Right?
Speaker:So there is many different modalities Okay Dance and movement therapy is considered
Speaker:to be somatic because it works bottom to top Okay So it's a body-oriented
Speaker:bottom-to-top approach Okay So rather than thinking through it- Right … you're
Speaker:feeling, sensing through it Okay You're working with the nervous system, with,
Speaker:uh, the body, sensations, emotions.
Speaker:Um, the inquiry happens through the body- Right … with the body
Speaker:That's a thing I struggle with.
Speaker:My therapist is always like, "How does it feel?" Like, I'm like, "I'm upset."
Speaker:"How does it… But how does it feel in your body?" Mm-hmm And I, and I,
Speaker:you know, I've started thinking more about that just because she's… But
Speaker:it's just not something that comes naturally to me Mm-hmm But really all
Speaker:emotions are just feelings in your body.
Speaker:Like, that's, I think, where they all- Mm-hmm I don't know the science
Speaker:on that, but you know what I mean?
Speaker:Mm-hmm Um, but yeah, it makes sense Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Yeah I wonder what… Yeah, I should try it.
Speaker:We- That would be good for me … we can talk about it more.
Speaker:I can explain you.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah Unless it goes into this conversation, uh, why would
Speaker:it be so hard for you to feel it in the first place, and, uh- Right.
Speaker:Of course … how you can, you know, slowly practice your way into it- Mm
Speaker:… just like you do it in mi- mindfulness and yoga and stuff Mm. Right Yeah Right Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah Yeah He's smiling right now.
Speaker:Thank you for describing.
Speaker:No video.
Speaker:No video.
Speaker:Um, how you feel about Columbus now?
Speaker:You've been here for a total of what, now eight, nine, 15, 14
Speaker:years total, something like that?
Speaker:In total Oh, yeah.
Speaker:Altogether- Right … probably it's going to, like, 13 years
Speaker:or something Right Yeah.
Speaker:I mean, I'm… There is many times I'm grateful because this is when
Speaker:I actually was able to go back to teaching yoga and, you know, teaching
Speaker:the way I'm teaching right now.
Speaker:You know, C- Columbus definitely gave me that, uh, opportunity to do many
Speaker:mistakes Right And especially teaching after pandemic Right Um, and, um, yeah.
Speaker:And so and then also starting my own practice as a somatic therapist.
Speaker:Mm-hmm And then now it's the time when I know that I'm going to
Speaker:be gone soon Oh, you're leaving?
Speaker:Yeah Oh, where you, where you going?
Speaker:I have no plan, but we're going Oh, all right This is it How much…
Speaker:When do you think you're gonna go?
Speaker:Oh, m- there are conversations.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Yeah, so- Right … like, like, you know, sometimes you don't wanna say it
Speaker:out loud, so you don't wanna ruin it.
Speaker:Right, right, right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Right, right.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Who knows when this will air?
Speaker:You might already be gone.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:What's that?
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Who knows when this will actually be on the, you know?
Speaker:I'll be like- You might already be gone by then … "Hey." Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:"Come over and visit for part two." Right, right.
Speaker:Well, it depends on where you end up at.
Speaker:End up, yeah.
Speaker:Oh, no.
Speaker:Wherever I go, it's gonna be a good place.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:In the States, you're thinking, or somewhere else in the-
Speaker:Maybe States, maybe not.
Speaker:Exciting.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Time for a change.
Speaker:Mm. And your partner's down with it?
Speaker:I mean, he has no choice but No, he is down.
Speaker:Right, right, right.
Speaker:He would love to.
Speaker:He's like, um, it's time, you know, for him as well.
Speaker:Yeah, you gotta at some point actually get out of Columbus.
Speaker:It… You know, if only to come back, but still.
Speaker:Hey, if I would be right now in a place when I wanna have children- Oh, for sure.
Speaker:Yeah … you know, like, if I would have a very specific intention, I would do this.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:I know why, and that's the reason, 'cause, you know, I know how
Speaker:other parts of the States are.
Speaker:That would make sense.
Speaker:But I'm not.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So why?
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And that's all it really is.
Speaker:It is very… I do.
Speaker:It's like I moved from New York where n- you know, it's fine to be
Speaker:single at f- 51 and have no kids.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's kind of normal almost to here where, like, almost all my friends mo-
Speaker:a lot of my friends anyway have kids and a family and all these things.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And it's, you know, it's just a different way of, of… You know, it, it, it's not a
Speaker:great place to be s- single and childless because it, and, and in your 50s,
Speaker:just because it's not… I don't know.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um- Just go somewhere else.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Gather, find a remote job, and go somewhere else-
Speaker:Yeah … where you can… Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:'Cause I don't wanna… Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Or maybe I'll meet somebody here and then end up m- having a family.
Speaker:Then I'll be like- … "But I don't wanna do that, though," so.
Speaker:I've also been talking about, like, getting a jo- like, a remote job for
Speaker:so long now that I feel like if I, if this is, uh, two years from now
Speaker:or five years from now, if I'm still talking about it, it's probably…
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I'll delete that part.
Speaker:Well, you know, we need to sit down and be honest with ourselves, and
Speaker:are we doing something about that?
Speaker:'Cause we can get really stuck in the place where we just talk about
Speaker:it, talk about it, talk about it.
Speaker:Oh, yeah.
Speaker:Do the thing.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Whatever that is.
Speaker:And I was just reminded, uh, the other day, I was longing for that my younger
Speaker:self that was just doing random things.
Speaker:You know, we, and we just talked about it, and we just touched
Speaker:the tip of the iceberg, you know?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Just a quick one, but I'm like, "I miss her. What, what
Speaker:the fuck happened?" You know?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:I wanna go back and become a little bit more honest and a little bit more
Speaker:raw and, and just do it, you know?
Speaker:'Cause, you know, for me it's not anymore about destination point because
Speaker:I know exactly what the destination is.
Speaker:Yeah, I think it's, for me it's like- Forcing myself to
Speaker:get out of my comfort zone.
Speaker:Mm. Like, I feel like we- it's… The older I get, I don't know about
Speaker:everybody, but I think most people as they get older, you get very stuck
Speaker:in routine and things like this.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And it becomes harder to wanna, like, do new things, all these other…
Speaker:So I feel like in my life, the comfort zone outside of that has been where
Speaker:all the good stuff always happens.
Speaker:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker:So I almost make a deliberate effort just to do that because what else is life
Speaker:for aside from- Exactly … you know?
Speaker:And it's really, it's definitely, it's easy to just get calcified and, and, yeah.
Speaker:It's easy to not- Mm … do stuff.
Speaker:Mm. It's real easy.
Speaker:I've noticed that myself, and again, I really wanna blame this on Columbus,
Speaker:but there would be a moment when I just cannot get out of the house.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Just can't.
Speaker:Like, dude, like, what's happening?
Speaker:Yeah, and, so I spent the last… I worked remotely for the last, I don't know,
Speaker:three, God, three or four years now.
Speaker:Um, and I'm just here in my house by myself.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And it started to drive me, like, legitimately crazy because it's
Speaker:just, like, I, I, I'm, you know, not interacting with human beings.
Speaker:It's just like… And it wouldn't, I wouldn't wanna go back to an office,
Speaker:but it was also just like, yeah.
Speaker:And I thought about doing this many times when I had that job because I was
Speaker:like, "Well, that'd be a wee way to, like, at least interact with people."
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But better late than never, I guess.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, but yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, it wasn't, it wasn't good, the working remotely thing.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And it was politics too, which is not good for the brain at all.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And it was post-pandemic, pandemic, post-pandemic.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:It, it, it, I mean, we think, you know, that we're in the same place.
Speaker:We're not.
Speaker:We're just never gonna be the same.
Speaker:Oh, yeah.
Speaker:No.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:No.
Speaker:I think that bet- between the pandemic and the internet, I think
Speaker:that there's something cracked, and I think that, I don't know how it
Speaker:fixes itself, but there's something kind of cracked in the world now,
Speaker:and it's… And I can't describe it or put a finger on it, but it's a
Speaker:result of too much information- Yeah
Speaker:and, um, too much stimulus and all these different things, and this is
Speaker:why we have, you know- Yeah … Donald Trump and all the other bad
Speaker:people- Yeah … doing bad things.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Of course, there's always bad people doing bad things.
Speaker:It's just not always been so visible.
Speaker:Everything's changing.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And the faster we just get over ourselves, the easier it will become, literally.
Speaker:So everything is changes, changes in the way.
Speaker:Nothing stay the same, you know?
Speaker:We cannot also sit and, like, say they-
Speaker:And us Oh, I agree totally with that.
Speaker:Yeah We're still part of the- Yeah … whole experience- Yeah … whether
Speaker:it's just America or the whole world, you know, it's, it's, you know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I do feel like there are friendlier places to be though.
Speaker:Like- Yeah … I, I was in Mexico City, and it felt, the vibe felt lighter.
Speaker:Mm-hmm You know?
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Um, and maybe it was just 'cause I was a tourist or a foreigner in
Speaker:a foreign land, but it just felt- Yeah … I had a friend who came from
Speaker:New York to stay with me for, like, a week, and he lives in Brooklyn.
Speaker:And he was like, "You know, when I walked down the street in Brooklyn,
Speaker:like, there's always one person who will scowl at me or something- Mm-hmm
Speaker:or give me a…" And he's like, "I don't get any of that here." And
Speaker:I was like, "Oh yeah, that's true.
Speaker:There's not a lot of-" Mm … "like, negative energy on the streets
Speaker:or whatever." Mm. I mean, there's occasionally, sure.
Speaker:But, um, yeah, bad vibes.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Anyway, who knows?
Speaker:Guatemala, though.
Speaker:Have you been to Guatemala?
Speaker:No.
Speaker:That's where I wanna go, to Guatemala.
Speaker:No.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:No.
Speaker:Central America and stuff.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Those places, I think, also have-
Speaker:A longstanding culture to back them up Yeah You know?
Speaker:Yeah So it's, there is something about that that just either that's devotion or
Speaker:the, the culture itself, the interaction with families, between families,
Speaker:with elders, and, um, I think it's important Yeah, I, I don't disagree.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I do think that there's a particular thing in America where it's, like, the idea of
Speaker:the American dream versus what's actually the reality in America right now, which is
Speaker:not that great Mm-hmm I mean, it's better than a lot of places, but for a lot of
Speaker:people, they're, they're not doing well at all Mm-hmm And I feel like that's why…
Speaker:And I think it, it's a, it's like a circle, right?
Speaker:It's like the idea of America running into the, the reality of America, and it's
Speaker:kind of circling the… Something like that Roman Empire had a downfall True,
Speaker:and it was because they went bankrupt What's happening now, yeah I know.
Speaker:I know.
Speaker:That's just what I'm saying It's, you know, if you really think from
Speaker:or step aside and just really look at the way nature works, the way, the
Speaker:way seasons change, the way everything revolves and then changes, and that's
Speaker:what I was saying about the change.
Speaker:It will change Oh, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah Do we have to wake up every morning and still deal with certain things?
Speaker:Absolutely.
Speaker:Is it uncomfortable?
Speaker:Absolutely Or do we have to deal with them?
Speaker:That's a question that I have a lot, though.
Speaker:Like, I'll read the news, but am I dealing with it?
Speaker:Is it doing anything?
Speaker:Yeah Like, I honestly…
Speaker:Like, maybe it's 'cause I worked in politics, but, like, th- I don't have
Speaker:a lot of, like, anxiety or, like, anger about what's going on in the world,
Speaker:what's going on- Mm-hmm … in the, in the country, because it doesn't do anything.
Speaker:My anxiety's not gonna change anything.
Speaker:Mm-hmm My, my worry's not gonna change anything.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:In fact, it's probably what they want, right?
Speaker:It's probably, like, winning for them- Mm-hmm … in a way for you to sit
Speaker:there and be anxious about things.
Speaker:And but then the question becomes is when does it start
Speaker:to personally affect me, right?
Speaker:Yeah Because, like, right now, me and most of my friends, w- we haven't
Speaker:been in a profound way- Mm-hmm
Speaker:affected.
Speaker:But I think if it, when, if and when it starts to truly, like, affect
Speaker:me and my friends, that's when your perspective changes on the whole
Speaker:thing Mm-hmm Yeah Yeah Because right now it's just anxiety or whatever.
Speaker:It's just posting on Instagram or whatever people are doing to- Yeah, it's
Speaker:a, you know, it's a little discomfort Sure Yeah, and life is about, you know,
Speaker:it's uncomfortable often And people wanna be angry at something Right
Speaker:People are addicted to anger And fear Yeah Yeah A drama addicted, I would
Speaker:say Yeah, yeah It's a drama addicted.
Speaker:Like, I wanna see some drama.
Speaker:That gives me that rush Right.
Speaker:Right You know?
Speaker:Whether it's the, whatever that is, whether it's the angry stuff- Yeah
Speaker:… fearful stuff, or just s- somebody had a bad day or whatever, whatever.
Speaker:Mm. It's a drama addiction.
Speaker:I- It's, it's a nervous system that runs on sympathetic Right To survival, you
Speaker:know, mode, and it's, you know, if, if, if your system is on this mode, you will
Speaker:be looking for stuff like that Sure.
Speaker:Then you got cute kittens on the internet too, though.
Speaker:That's always nice.
Speaker:And that's what you do.
Speaker:Yeah You go, you go, you go, you kinda like, uh, feed your sympathetic, and then
Speaker:you go to the kittens, and then you feed your parasympathetic, and you just ride
Speaker:the wave Right, right, right Yeah Then you go take yoga, and then, you know, whatever
Speaker:Um, did you just teach yourself how to do that Instagram content you're doing?
Speaker:'Cause as a video editor, I'm like, "That's solid." You're like, like, I'm
Speaker:like, "Oh, well done." Like, I'm not trying to… But, like, it's, like,
Speaker:well edited- Thank you … and cleverly, like, yeah, put in- Put together Yeah,
Speaker:really cool, yeah Yeah, teaching myself.
Speaker:Do you use, like, do you, do you use the editor in the app or?
Speaker:Like, just CapCut.
Speaker:Ca- Oh, CapCut, CapCut Yeah, CapCut Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I just wish everything wasn't Instagram now.
Speaker:I just wish that, like, you know, it's become Like an everything box for like
Speaker:if I wanna put out a movie or something, I'll probably put it on Instagram- Mm
Speaker:… or if I wanna, you know what I mean?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um.
Speaker:And do you have anything else besides Instagram?
Speaker:N- n- no, I don't have TikTok.
Speaker:I had to get rid of that because that's just- Yeah … that's just the, the
Speaker:devil's- Well, think about people who actually also, you know, do the Tik- like,
Speaker:like m- some of my friends send me TikTok.
Speaker:I'm like, "Don't send me…" Dude … I, I don't have time for this.
Speaker:I can't.
Speaker:I criticize my phone usage a lot, like in my head.
Speaker:Like, I'm like pretty cognizant of it, but like the amount of time some
Speaker:people spend on their phones, like, just scrolling is- Ah, yeah … insanity.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, I w- then I, I learned about how much people are, and I'm like, "Oh,
Speaker:I'm actually not so, so bad," right?
Speaker:I'm actually s- doing all right.
Speaker:Perfect.
Speaker:I thought I was in bad shape here, but-
Speaker:people are sitting there for hours just looking at- Yeah … Instagram videos.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, we did the, um, the digital detox, uh, like a month ago- Oh,
Speaker:yeah, yeah … with my partner first.
Speaker:How long did that, how long was it for?
Speaker:Just 24 hours.
Speaker:Oh, okay.
Speaker:But it was, like, no devices at all.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:So you, you're gonna have none of that.
Speaker:Like, you're not touching, not touching computer.
Speaker:No, no pad, no TV, none of that.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:You're just fully on, yeah.
Speaker:You have lights, though.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:I mean, not the electricity.
Speaker:Yeah, okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Just, just anything that device, device related.
Speaker:That'd be hardcore to do it, like no electricity even.
Speaker:Like, go Amish.
Speaker:Ooh.
Speaker:Go like full Amish.
Speaker:That, that's possible.
Speaker:Throwing it out there next time.
Speaker:Possible.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Totally.
Speaker:So how did it go with the- It was fun, and also, like, unexpected, to be honest.
Speaker:To, you know, you kind of have this idea like, "Oh, I'm gonna do this-
Speaker:Mm … I'm gonna do that." But if you really think about it, it just kind
Speaker:of goes into, oh, I cannot use maps, or I cannot use my parking my car.
Speaker:'Cause you can still go- Right … and do the coffee shop, right?
Speaker:Or there is some things, and then because you don't have the movement,
Speaker:the motion- Mm-hmm … of the, the phone or the entertainment, you start
Speaker:seeing really and noticing things that you not, not, have not noticed before.
Speaker:We end up going to, like, a, a gallery that we never pay attention before.
Speaker:We end up drawing, you know, at home half of the evening,
Speaker:probably reading to each other.
Speaker:Like, we were reading to each other.
Speaker:Love it.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:We end up walking, like, German village, like 12:00 AM just, like, you know,
Speaker:at night, just, just taking a walk.
Speaker:Why don't we do this all the time?
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:Uh, well, no, I mean, that's the question I'd be asking myself when I
Speaker:was doing digital detox and walking around at midnight- … saying, "Why
Speaker:don't I do this every night?" You know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:What's the thing that most people get wrong about you?
Speaker:I think people probably think that I'm, like, too… I, I am kind of
Speaker:bold and I kind of say what I think.
Speaker:I can seem this way.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Or I may seem that I'm just Eastern European, like you're all, you know.
Speaker:Right, right, right.
Speaker:But deep down inside I'm very, like, a s- softy.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:What about you?
Speaker:What about me?
Speaker:What people, you know, think.
Speaker:Oh, what people get wrong about me?
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:That's a tough one.
Speaker:See, that's the thing.
Speaker:I've been confronted with this in past interviews where people are like,
Speaker:"What about you?" And I'm like, "Oh, I should probably have an answer for
Speaker:all these questions- Mm-hmm … if I'm going to ask them myself."
Speaker:What do people get wrong about me?
Speaker:I think people think that I'm just, um… I think a lot of people think
Speaker:that I'm just, 'cause I am, a just, uh, kind of m- a joke-making person.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Just, like, sarcastic.
Speaker:I make wisecracks all the time.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:I think that that becomes a lot of people's, like, impression of me.
Speaker:I'm just going to make some sarcastic, um, comment about it.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Which is true to a degree.
Speaker:Like, I do do that.
Speaker:That's part of my… But it's also not all of me.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So I don't know if that's anything somebody gets wrong about me.
Speaker:Mm. E- except for thinking that that's all that I am, but that would be- Okay.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I think that this a, it's a type of question that we need to ask each other.
Speaker:So for instance, if you would ask me what people get wrong about you-
Speaker:Oh … I can give you the answer.
Speaker:All right, I'm, I'm here.
Speaker:I'm listening.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And then- Oh … and then that's how… That could be a way.
Speaker:And I give you an example, 'cause you n- you don't seem very talkative person.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:And, um… Or I would say just reserved.
Speaker:Like in yoga class.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I mean, that's- Yeah … yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, I'm not s- very social in yoga class.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:But- But in general, even the outside, there's this demeanor.
Speaker:But again- Yeah, no … this is where we're answering the question to like-
Speaker:No, I'm listening … what seem, like what it seems- Yeah, no … to me, right?
Speaker:I'm, I'm hearing you.
Speaker:So it's just demeanor itself.
Speaker:Y- y- you're there, you come in v- very quick, "Hello," you
Speaker:know, "Bye." Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:This is it.
Speaker:Now we're sitting here, you're chatty.
Speaker:You're asking questions.
Speaker:Like, whoa.
Speaker:But it's, but, but the difference is it's safe here.
Speaker:That's the difference for me in my, in my head.
Speaker:It's like… Um, I was thinking about this as I was taking a
Speaker:walk the other night, I'm like…
Speaker:And I'm like, "Why am I enjoying this podcast?" Because it allows me an
Speaker:opportunity to be like, reach out to people that I wanna talk to and learn
Speaker:more about, and it's… If we need the context of this, that's fine with me.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Because, like, I have, like, uh, I would say insecurity- Mm-hmm … from
Speaker:childhood and re- you know.
Speaker:Um, so it's a lot of that.
Speaker:It's a lot of, um, me shutting down because of experiences from my childhood-
Speaker:Mm-hmm … that fucked me up, and so.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, but I'm much better than I used to be.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And actually, it's nice to hear that, you saying that, because it actually
Speaker:is pretty enlightening in a way.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And the thing, this is how we kind of, like I always say, it's really hard
Speaker:to m- know- What is the label when you're sitting inside of your own jar?
Speaker:Right That's why getting that, you know, that s- like, perspective
Speaker:from, from another person.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I'm trying to think of mine for you now.
Speaker:Mm. Yeah.
Speaker:I would say that it's kind of what you said in a way, that I
Speaker:think that a lot of people…
Speaker:You come, you come across w- as kind of, yes, Eastern European kind of, you know?
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Um, but, but really, like, you're, like, a little goofy.
Speaker:Mm. Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:You see, I wouldn't think about it, but now that I'm thinking about yoga
Speaker:classes, yeah- Yeah … I like to joke a little bit or I would like to goof
Speaker:more, but yoga seems to be so serious, and it's just how hard to move people.
Speaker:Like, you know, 'cause you need that… You cannot do it on your own.
Speaker:You have to… You need that somebody else to go with you on that journey, you know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:No, I get it.
Speaker:And, like, so much pressure is put on you because you are teaching.
Speaker:You are leading the class, and if you're like, "Eh, eh, eh,"
Speaker:and there's no response, I'm like, "Eh, okay, let's just…"
Speaker:I would say that I totally understand what you're saying, but, like, one
Speaker:of my biggest frustrations with yoga… And, eh, I really struggle
Speaker:to find classes that I really like.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:I find that a lot of classes are just kind of the same cookie cutter kind of thing.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And then it's kind of this generic music in the background, and music is a thing.
Speaker:If you're gonna have music, at least have, you know… Either,
Speaker:either have it very faint or have it, you know… But don't just play
Speaker:me generic… Anyway, it's a thing.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:I hear you.
Speaker:Um- And you're also from the film background- Right.
Speaker:Right, right, right … so you're very, you know, it just- I wanna, I wanna
Speaker:produce, I wanna produce the yoga class.
Speaker:Produce the sound.
Speaker:Um- I would, I would play it … I have this idea of, like, a yoga class, like,
Speaker:a studio that's got, like, great lights.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Like, really good, like, crazy, weird lighting, 'cause I
Speaker:actually got some bizarre lights.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And then, like, an incredible, like, sound system as well, and it becomes
Speaker:a whole thing where you can go and you can, um, yeah, have a whole experience.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Anyway, my point being, you're doing something different, and unique, and
Speaker:interesting to me, and I think a lot of people are feeling that as well.
Speaker:Mm. So I don't think… Yeah.
Speaker:Mm. Yeah.
Speaker:Thank you.
Speaker:I appreciate that.
Speaker:Um, 'cause it is, like… I go to every other yoga class, and there's a
Speaker:few teachers who it's just like, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Well, you know, that's definitely, uh, inspired by Katona Yoga.
Speaker:Right, which I'm still trying to wrap my head around.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Big love of my life.
Speaker:I'm super sore every time I go to that class.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I hope it's in a good way.
Speaker:Uh, it, I'm, I'm… I have to go to a physical therapist, but
Speaker:that's a whole nother story.
Speaker:Not about your class, but about- Oh, okay, okay, okay,
Speaker:okay … you know what I'm saying?
Speaker:Yeah, that's why you're here, actually.
Speaker:Actually, medical, medical bills because of your Katona class.
Speaker:And here it is.
Speaker:Right, right, right.
Speaker:Um, how did you get into the Katona?
Speaker:It, it came to me from different directions.
Speaker:Uh, Josie Schweitzer, uh, she, uh, used to live here, and she,
Speaker:um, owned two studios in Columbus.
Speaker:At the same time, I saw the training coming from… about Katona
Speaker:from, uh, teachers from Europe.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:It just kind of happened within, like, few weeks.
Speaker:I'm like, "This, whatever that is- It's a science, yeah … it
Speaker:looks… it's very interesting to me." And then I took that training.
Speaker:It was online training, and, and I, um, I was just in awe, very
Speaker:confused, but deep down inside, the material felt very familiar.
Speaker:Like, I already know it.
Speaker:Huh.
Speaker:It's almost like I had to relearn it.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And that was it, and I just start.
Speaker:It just really… It gave me information.
Speaker:It gave me the answers to why that I couldn't find in just a classical teacher
Speaker:training, and, you know, it gave me an opportunity to really look inside
Speaker:from a very different perspective.
Speaker:What do you think it is about it in particular that, that, that brings that?
Speaker:Um, Navine, who basically, uh, developed the method, let's put it this way.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:I think it w- you know, what she did, she just saw, like, different
Speaker:modalities because it's like… it's Chinese medicine, it's Kundalini
Speaker:and Hatha yoga, it's geometry, it's the esoteric conversation
Speaker:through the metaphors, numerology.
Speaker:So much more to it that, uh, even, like, it's somatic for me.
Speaker:It… Like, I really saw that it's, like, three-dimensional
Speaker:Huh … rather than two-dimensional.
Speaker:Huh.
Speaker:And it's, it's, it… Yeah, it just moves your imagination in a way that you
Speaker:would not expect to be moved in that way.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:First, I learned about joints, about organs.
Speaker:I have organs.
Speaker:Oh, yeah, they're moved.
Speaker:Oh, that's what happens when I'm actually practicing yoga, you know?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Glands.
Speaker:N- like, and it was going along with somatic therapy at the same time.
Speaker:Katona, and then some, uh, dance and movement, and then somatic.
Speaker:I'm like, "I am… Whatever that is, I'm in a good place." Right.
Speaker:I know this is it I know, like, this is it.
Speaker:This is what I'm doing for sure The pieces all kind of- And they're
Speaker:all just coming together … came together, right … constantly.
Speaker:And then whenever I talk about this material, whenever I have somatic
Speaker:therapy sessions, Katona comes in.
Speaker:It kind of waves, you know?
Speaker:It's this…
Speaker:You just… You're kind of stitching that theory.
Speaker:And then there in, in Katona, you know, one-on-one or in, in, in the classes,
Speaker:same way I can see how somatic, uh, aspect comes in and just… It's
Speaker:beautifully… It's a beautiful dance Huh.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It made me understand the world, the way the patterns, the way, the way the world
Speaker:is, and how I can function in this world.
Speaker:It gave me very, uh, practical tools to use, applicable, accessible tools.
Speaker:'Cause there's one of the things is that all of the tools are available.
Speaker:You know, like always Naveen says, it's, you know, the world is open book.
Speaker:Anything is available right now.
Speaker:Now we're getting too much information.
Speaker:Now we don't know how to navigate it.
Speaker:And I heard somebody say, I can't remember right now who was it, but she
Speaker:said something like this: "We're having the tools, but really the mastery of
Speaker:the tools and knowing h- what, when, and how to use it" Yeah That's it.
Speaker:You don't need much.
Speaker:But know when, what, and how to use it.
Speaker:Yeah, I like that.
Speaker:And that's when it…
Speaker:Oh, with Katona material, I was able to put my life back together.
Speaker:How would you describe Katona Yoga to somebody who's never-
Speaker:Who's never done Katona Yoga?
Speaker:… come across it before?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Or- It's kind of like with somatic therapy.
Speaker:Right Just come to the class Come to the session.
Speaker:Like, I'll give you just, like, a free session.
Speaker:Right Come to my session, you know, 'cause this is… Like, it's
Speaker:impossible to describe an experience.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:But what if somebody… What if you're on, like, say, a podcast, and somebody's like,
Speaker:"What actually is Katona Yoga?" Yeah.
Speaker:I would probably say just a, a method developed by Navin
Speaker:Michaan that, uh, includes or involves Hatha yoga, Kundalini,
Speaker:breathwork, geometry, metaphor- Okay
Speaker:Chinese medicine- Okay … uh, Dao principles, main principles of Dao.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I'd never- And it's constantly evolving.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I'd never heard of it until the cla- your class in the… Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah I'd never come across it.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, do you think you've learned anything about yourself or that w-
Speaker:or that you've learned anything…
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:It's impossible to say.
Speaker:I've learned things about myself since living in Columbus that I hadn't
Speaker:known before, and I don't… but I don't know if they're about Columbus
Speaker:or if they're about me, or if, if, if it would, would've been different.
Speaker:But I think every place you end up ends up teaching you something.
Speaker:Yeah Right?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Oh, let me ask you this question.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Why is there so much about Columbus?
Speaker:Oh, I don't know.
Speaker:I… 'Cause I'm thinking about getting out of here.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, what was it about New York that you learned about yourself?
Speaker:Um, that I am bad with money.
Speaker:Um, that… God, wow, so many things.
Speaker:Uh, I mean, that's- Give me, like, give me, like, three or four.
Speaker:Good Lord.
Speaker:That I am, uh… I mean, positive things, that I am str- stronger
Speaker:than I thought I was, for sure.
Speaker:Mm. Um, resilient.
Speaker:Um, but also that I am not good at, um, doing, uh, networky things,
Speaker:which I think actually kind of feeds into… We were talking about the
Speaker:first impressions and how I come off as kind of- Mm … and I think that's,
Speaker:kinda goes hand-in-hand in a way.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Um, I just don't have… Networky things, I don't have patience for it.
Speaker:I don't like the dynamic of, like… 'Cause with filmmaking, there's a
Speaker:lot of, like, networking events, and the- Yeah … dynamic is always like
Speaker:we're talking to each other because we want to work, w- we want… And
Speaker:I just don't like that dynamic.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Just- Mm-hmm … yeah.
Speaker:Uh, what camera did you use for the, the- Yeah.
Speaker:Um- Yeah, I hear you.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I hear you.
Speaker:Um, and also that, uh-
Speaker:I mean, I don't know.
Speaker:I mean, I think I did … Was that four?
Speaker:Yeah, that's, that's plenty.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I, I mean, I had- Like, just whatever first helps … a shit ton of
Speaker:debt when I left, so that's- Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, that kind of the, the, the first- Yeah.
Speaker:No, I mean, I really- … that you're fed with money.
Speaker:No, I mean, I had to leave 'cause of, 'cause I was in a shit ton of
Speaker:debt and I was just- Yeah … like, "This is unsustainable." Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Um, but, uh, but it was fun.
Speaker:It was fun to live there.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um- Well done by the team
Speaker:you are f- uh, since you're, like, you know, such a creative
Speaker:soul, what inspires you right now?
Speaker:Wow.
Speaker:Turn this around.
Speaker:I like it.
Speaker:Um-
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:This I mean, it's an easy answer, but, like, this podcast is really,
Speaker:like, uh, the more I've done it and the more I've thought about what it's
Speaker:bringing into my world- Mm-hmm … it's really been a positive thing.
Speaker:For me personally at this point in my life- Mm … like, it feels like- And
Speaker:maybe I'm just saying this because I'm doing it, but like it's been in my head
Speaker:for a while, the, the idea for this- Yeah
Speaker:just to like… And now that I'm actually doing it, and I'm really
Speaker:like… It's been a while since I've done creative work on my own.
Speaker:Yeah You know?
Speaker:And like had the motivation to do it and actually done it.
Speaker:And, um, yeah, I'm pretty, I'm… It's been good in a, a self-esteem
Speaker:way, like I'm fucking proud of myself.
Speaker:Mm.
Speaker:But also in a way that like I'm having long conversations, and it's interesting
Speaker:to like, the more conversations I have the more I realize how I converse
Speaker:and I think about conversation.
Speaker:And, and it's really been good and interesting in a way, and I'm getting
Speaker:mo- better at talking to people randomly than I was before in a way.
Speaker:Oh, got it.
Speaker:You know what I mean?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So you're- There's been a lot of growth … you're learning something about
Speaker:yourself that- It, yeah … is, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, it's been good.
Speaker:The process itself has really been just kind of, um, really rewarding in a way.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So yeah.
Speaker:And sometimes that, that's what it really takes.
Speaker:R- right.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:If you're, if you're going to have a good conversation with a person, you
Speaker:know, with… And that's what it takes to create a podcast, then why not?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:I mean, if we need… It, I mean, uh, honestly part of the origin story
Speaker:of this is that my nephew was here.
Speaker:He's 14 years old.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:He came and stayed with me like two or three months ago.
Speaker:And again, I've been thinking about this for years, but I haven't
Speaker:really thought about it for a while.
Speaker:And then he was here, and he's not, he's a teenager so he's not that chatty.
Speaker:But I was like, "Do you wanna record a podcast?" Yeah.
Speaker:And as soon as he got headphones on, he started talking to me in ways
Speaker:that he had never talked before.
Speaker:That's awesome.
Speaker:He's talking about how it feels to run, and it was like, "Oh, bing." You know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:This is awesome.
Speaker:Um, because it does, it does open people up in a weird way, you know?
Speaker:Yeah … to be, to say, "This is the expectation of us right now-
Speaker:Yeah … is we're going to sit and have a conversation." Yeah.
Speaker:And we're gonna find a way to do that, whatever, you know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I think it's nice in a way.
Speaker:I think there's… Like, the idea of forced conversation, whatever the
Speaker:context is, is really kind of like, it seems weird, but it's actually,
Speaker:um… Like, maybe I'll have some like fucking crazy person in here
Speaker:at some point who I'll be like- Yeah … "I'm never doing that again."
Speaker:But, um, but yeah, it's been really…
Speaker:And I've reconnected with like old friends that I haven't- Mm … talked to
Speaker:in a while just because, well, you know.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Um- Yeah, it's interesting 'cause, um, whenever we sat down like, "Oh, that,
Speaker:that, that is weird. Can we just have a conversation?" But as we're more
Speaker:into the conversation, I see how that would be amazing for relationships.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:For couples.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:For, you know, I, I w- Right away as soon as you told me about your nephew,
Speaker:I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I would love to have conversation with my brother's
Speaker:children." 'Cause it's impossible to have a conversation with them.
Speaker:But you're making a podcast.
Speaker:And we're making a podcast.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Oh, yeah.
Speaker:It's 'cause they get that.
Speaker:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker:They know how to do that game.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:They understand media, right?
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And it's just their filter.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:This is where this is their cup of coffee, you know?
Speaker:I'm gonna have a coffee and- Absolutely … they're gonna like, "Let's do the
Speaker:podcast." And the other part is just like it w- if it was a normal conversation,
Speaker:like if we had, if it, if it lulls, like- The conversation has to continue.
Speaker:Do you know what I'm saying?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Like, that's a big part of it, too.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Like, we're gonna talk for a little while, and we're gonna talk for at
Speaker:least this, you know… And yeah.
Speaker:And so the conversat- I have a list of questions just in
Speaker:case at some point, you know.
Speaker:Mm. Um, but yeah, it's, it's made me think.
Speaker:I've done a lot of, like, interesting thoughts about just conversations and
Speaker:the nature of the fact that this is the context, that it needs a context- Mm-hmm
Speaker:is kind of both great and also sad in the world we're living in, right?
Speaker:Um- Yes, and … because we need the context of… Yeah.
Speaker:Yes, and.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Well, improv.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker:It's yes, and, 'cause then you're actually preparing.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:You prepared, so you're just here, not just taken for granted.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:And I'm sitting here not taken for granted, and I'm like, "Oh, okay.
Speaker:This is, this is- Yeah … I'm enjoying this," you know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And people are very… It's surprising.
Speaker:Like, I've just reached out to random people that, some people that
Speaker:I've just randomly are interested in and just reach out and ask,
Speaker:and they're like, usually, yes.
Speaker:And it's so interesting to me, 'cause I'm, I'm not sure why I expect them to say
Speaker:no, but, like, it speaks to me in a way that, like, people wanna talk, you know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:People wanna… Yeah.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So- And, and that's just gives another good excuse, if you really think about
Speaker:it, to actually have a long conversation.
Speaker:In real world, you would just, you know, disappear in the phone,
Speaker:disappear in awkward moment or a pause where, "Oh, I'm gonna go now." Yeah.
Speaker:No, let's just stay in this awkwardness.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:It is awkward.
Speaker:It is uncomfortable.
Speaker:Nobody likes pauses, you know?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:But you also don't wanna over chat it.
Speaker:And right now, even just sitting here and reflecting on, it's like, yeah,
Speaker:it's, you know… I will remember this.
Speaker:Oh, it's good to know.
Speaker:See?
Speaker:I will, you know?
Speaker:Maybe, like, in 10 years, I'm gonna be having, like, many podcast or, you know.
Speaker:But, but I will remember this one 'cause this is a new experience.
Speaker:Oh, well, I'm glad.
Speaker:And this is not type of experience of, like, well, you know,
Speaker:I'm not being expert- Yeah.
Speaker:No.
Speaker:I- … on something … yeah.
Speaker:I'm just being a human- Yeah … with all my flaws and- Yeah … you know,
Speaker:all my, all my stuff, just like you are.
Speaker:That's what I want the thing to be.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Anyway, I appreciate you saying that.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Absolutely.
Speaker:Um, the last question that I ask people is, uh, what do
Speaker:you think happens when we die?
Speaker:You know what?
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:You just asked me this question, and I see in the hallway this light
Speaker:you have with like a rainbow-ish.
Speaker:Oh, yeah, I got the Temu.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Temu.
Speaker:'Cause you can kind of see it into the- Mm-hmm … it's almost like
Speaker:the Like, uh, f- flying in the spaceship into the black hole.
Speaker:Like a vortex.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:That's exactly what it is.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:This is, that would be my answer.
Speaker:Oh, all right.
Speaker:The answer is the- Is the, the… Yeah … the vortex.
Speaker:It's just the, like, yeah, whatever that is.
Speaker:I'll accept that answer.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's the most succinct answer we've gotten so far, and I appreciate that.
Speaker:What does it mean, succinct?
Speaker:Um, short and, short and sweet.
Speaker:Oh, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:What made you pa- particular this kind of question?
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:Honestly, it kind of, I don't really like it, honestly, but I feel like I
Speaker:should have some q- question that I…
Speaker:For some reason I feel like there should be some question that I ask
Speaker:everybody at the end of the podcast.
Speaker:Mm. You know what I mean?
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:I don't know why.
Speaker:Maybe it's 'cause I listen to too many podcasts and that-
Speaker:Mm-hmm … seems to be a thing.
Speaker:So yeah, and then when I was doing the first one, that was the answer
Speaker:I landed on at the last minute, and that was, uh, the question rather,
Speaker:and so I've been sticking with it.
Speaker:But really, open to suggestions on, on, uh, end questions, because I can, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Oftentimes we get to the death thing before the end.
Speaker:Weirdly enough.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Which is good.
Speaker:We haven't, we didn't do it this time.
Speaker:That's- Yeah … that speaks good.
Speaker:Um… I, I think this, the what inspires you could be a, a fun, a fun,
Speaker:uh, add, addition to the questions, to the list of the questions.
Speaker:What inspires you?
Speaker:Yeah, that's on the list.
Speaker:All right, what inspires you then?
Speaker:Uh, I'm saying, like, in, in general, like, for, for your list, for sure.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:I think it's, you know, 'cause we often, you know, go into like what's
Speaker:wrong, what's this, what's that.
Speaker:Like, what inspires you?
Speaker:What brings you joy?
Speaker:What do you, you know?
Speaker:Yeah, it's hard because we s- we so rarely sit and reflect, at least
Speaker:I don't… I mean, it's not a, um, it's not a pro-reflection world
Speaker:we live in right now, you know?
Speaker:Mm. It's not a pro, um, so- Yeah, like contemplative sitting.
Speaker:Yeah, no, it's not a lot of that.
Speaker:Um, not a lot of that.
Speaker:You have to really, you have to do it, you have to make an effort to do it- Mm
Speaker:as opposed to.
Speaker:I have a friend who's on, like, a 10-day silent retreat right now.
Speaker:Mm. And I am curious to know- … um, because I don't think I could.
Speaker:No phone, nothing.
Speaker:No talking.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Not even exercise.
Speaker:Like, you- Is it with Osman?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Have you done this?
Speaker:Uh-huh.
Speaker:How long have you done it for?
Speaker:11 days.
Speaker:Wow.
Speaker:Basically it's 11, like, I think you go 10 days and then, like, 11 day you're still
Speaker:there, you're- Right … catching up and- Right … integrating and… I feel like
Speaker:it's like a first three, four, five days that you're, like, resisting and then
Speaker:eventually something, something breaks, but that's how I feel like I would do it.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's all over the place.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:There's no like- Yeah … exact, like- It's, I, it, like, I could do,
Speaker:like, three days I feel like maybe.
Speaker:But really, it really, um… And that's, what does that say about me,
Speaker:that I am so afraid of just being with myself for three days straight?
Speaker:I don't know Well, let's do the…
Speaker:Let's put this way.
Speaker:Remember what, when, and how you do it.
Speaker:Is it really about being afraid?
Speaker:And it's like that's why Vipassana is done the way it's done.
Speaker:You go with other people.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:You know, you know, you sharing the experience.
Speaker:This is very important.
Speaker:You are in this thing together.
Speaker:Even if you don't talk to them about it, you're still- You know
Speaker:it All right People will cry.
Speaker:People will, like, first thing that people usually do, they escape.
Speaker:They run away.
Speaker:Right They go into the woods, and then they come back.
Speaker:Some people don't come back.
Speaker:Right Right They just off into the woods forever.
Speaker:Forever Yeah, exactly.
Speaker:And, you know, you can take it as a defeat, or you can just like, "Hey,
Speaker:maybe this tool, it's not the tool."
Speaker:You know, what, when, and how, right?
Speaker:Yeah So maybe what is not this, maybe it's something else.
Speaker:This is where we get sometimes stuck in, like, those, oh, if it's
Speaker:a cold plunge, then for everyone.
Speaker:Maybe it's not.
Speaker:Right You know, if it's sauna, is it for every season?
Speaker:No, maybe it's not.
Speaker:If this is, you know, hormonal therapy, is it for everyone?
Speaker:No.
Speaker:So, you know, like, so this is your choice.
Speaker:You know, do you need to do 10 days, or you can do just one and start with that?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:I think some people probably go into experience like that, like, with
Speaker:expectations on themselves that they have to do this for themselves, and I think
Speaker:that that's when they get into a, a spiral of feeling defeated and, you know- Yeah
Speaker:et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker:Yeah Um, when you're expecting yourself to be able to… Have you
Speaker:ever had any, um, uh, psychedelic, profound psychedelic experiences?
Speaker:I did.
Speaker:Do you wanna talk about it?
Speaker:I would say this way.
Speaker:Till this day, I think still that more of people, relationships, and things that
Speaker:I've done myself been more transformative for me than psychedelic journeys.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, but there was one very profound that, um, kind of just I remember till this day.
Speaker:And, um, I'm still doing the same mistakes, and I'm still kind of
Speaker:like- Right … following my own patterns- Right, right … you know?
Speaker:I think it's, for me at least, the way I see it is of opening,
Speaker:expanding, m- m- just, just bigger.
Speaker:It's,
Speaker:it's a- Like, just whatever it is, it just gets- It zooms out.
Speaker:It zooms out.
Speaker:It zooms… Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I just… Yeah.
Speaker:Or zooming all the way in into something.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Right, right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:The zooming out is the thing I always get.
Speaker:Like, I'm able to see the big picture in a way that I've never seen it before.
Speaker:And I'm like- Mm-hmm … oh, this is like interactions become so
Speaker:transparent in a strange way.
Speaker:Like, it all becomes very, um… Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Like, um… It's like seeing from some sort of a bird's-eye view or something.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:I don't know how to put it.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Anyway, Nastya, thank you so much for coming in.
Speaker:I really appreciate it.
Speaker:It was a wonderful conversation.
Speaker:I feel like I get to know you better, and I really love that, so.
Speaker:My pleasure.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I loved it.
Speaker:Thank you.
Speaker:I already said it.
Speaker:Thanks for coming in.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Thank you so much.
Speaker:And thanks for being, like, a killer yoga teacher.
Speaker:Do you wanna promote anything, by the way, while you're here?
Speaker:I don't know if… I don't know.
Speaker:I'm a somatic therapist here in Columbus, Ohio.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:And, um, I'll share the link of my website.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:We'll put it in the show notes.
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:In the show notes.
Speaker:That's how we do it.
Speaker:Cool, cool, cool.
Speaker:That's how we do it.
Speaker:And if you ever get a chance, if you're in Columbus, Ohio, go to one of her classes.
Speaker:I love them.
Speaker:Thank you so much.
Speaker:Thank you.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Thank you
Speaker:And that was Anastasija Kacena.
Speaker:Truly grateful that she was open to just sitting down and having a conversation
Speaker:with a random yoga student, and that she seemed to enjoy it as much as I did.
Speaker:So thank you, Stasia.
Speaker:It was wonderful to get to know you beyond the yoga teacher you that I knew before.
Speaker:You can learn more about Anastasija and her yoga and somatic therapy
Speaker:offerings at sijasomatics.com.
Speaker:That's sijasomatics.com.
Speaker:And you can follow her on Instagram at
Speaker:anastasija_kacena.
Speaker:That's A-N-A-S-T-A-S-I-J-A underscore K-A-T-C-Y-N-A.
Speaker:I'll put all that and everything else in the show notes.
Speaker:You can follow this podcast on Instagram at onefjefpod, and you can email
Speaker:the podcast at onefjefpod@gmail.com.
Speaker:And now you can call and leave a voicemail for the podcast that I will probably
Speaker:play on a future show at 669-241-5882.
Speaker:So that's exciting.
Speaker:That number again is 669-241-5882.
Speaker:Tell me who you are, your thoughts on the show, your biggest fears, what
Speaker:inspires you, et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker:Anything at all will bring me joy.
Speaker:Finally, please take a moment to write a quick review of this podcast on whatever
Speaker:platform you're listening on, or just give it five stars or subscribe, whatever.
Speaker:Any kind of engagement helps tell the all-powerful algorithms that this
Speaker:show is worthy to boost or whatever it is that the algorithms actually do.
Speaker:It helps.
Speaker:I think I've run out of ways to express my gratitude to you, the
Speaker:listener, for continuing to put this show in your ear holes every week.
Speaker:So I'll just keep it simple.
Speaker:Thank you so much for listening.
Speaker:I would give you all a big hug if I could
Speaker:I'll see you next week
Speaker:Very good, Jeffrey
