If you’ve been at a London kundalini yoga event, and there’s a sublime raw frozen banana cheesecake on the go, or some black bean brownies, it’s likely Bachanprem’s in the house. She’s the most talented vegan/raw/gf foodie I know: cacao queen, date diva, green goddess, she’s all o’ them. I’ve had the fortune of having this huge-hearted woman hold my hand through the Level 2 ANS teacher training, and we’ve got to know each other pretty well. So here she is on her yoga practice, Steiner school experience and favourite easy raw recipe…
How did you get into kundalini yoga, Bachanprem?
A complete ‘accident’. I’ve been doing yoga ever since I went to university and when I moved to London I would try new classes everywhere I lived. One day, a kundalini yoga class in a park took my fancy. I went, and two weeks later I was signed up to ky Teacher Training Level 1 (TT1). Yoga started changing my life massively when I started TT1 and then even more with TT2. I think that was the first time I consciously considered yoga as something else than ‘just’ a gym class. It was definitely the spiritual and self-developmental aspect of yoga that changed my life, more than any physical effects. Although, my Frogs are much better three years into the practice 😉
What does your daily practice look like?
Breath, breath, breath! I try to focus on it as much as I can and use it as a tool for whatever situation I’m in. Usually, I have a 40-day kriya running; the focus of this will change depending on where I’m currently at. I prefer meditation as my morning or evening practice though, as I do quite a lot of sports other than yoga and my body is sometimes just tired. Other than that, I’m including food as part of my practice at the moment – a challenge, but it’s a very effective tool.
Your go-to kriya or meditation?
Uh, that’s a tough one… It kind of depends as well on what mood I’m in I guess. The Surya Kriya is one I can always do and I find it very gentle and uplifting. The Kriya To Balance The Lower And Upper Triangle is my go to staple when I feel like changing my energy completely and centering myself. But than there are a ton of other kriyas and meditations I really like. I just finished 40 days of the Mahan Gyan Mudra and that was absolutely amazing.
Favourite recipe?
With this heat: banana ice cream! Basically, you freeze 1-2 bananas cut in pieces for about 3 hours and blend them in a food processor with whatever flavour you like. My fave is a kind of caramel mix for which I use a big teaspoon of almond butter and a few dates and cinnamon in the blend. It’s addictive!
What does your self-care routine look like?
To be honest, this is a very challenging topic in my life. Generally, I don’t consciously focus on self care and then realise my lack of focus when I’m totally stressed or exhausted. But I’m trying to be better, with myself by using two areas in my life: One is physical exercise, it’s good for my constitution and I enjoy moving my frame and am generally more relaxed and happy after a good sweat session. The second aspect is a focus on being kind through my inner dialogue and not putting myself down by my own thoughts.
You went to a Steiner school in your home country of Germany. How was that?
Before I went to the Steiner school I was generally terrified of school and didn’t believe I had any capacity to learn or understand new subjects. That changed when I met my new teachers and they instilled a real “hunger” for learning and understanding in me – I think I became a bit of a pain as I would always have another question, keeping us from breaks 🙂
Your life philosophy in mini?
See the lesson in every situation. Don’t be attached. Spread love and kindness – always.
And now a quick fire round…
Fave quote? ‘Hope is not a prediction of the future, it’s a declaration of what is possible’ – Yogi Bhajan
Movie? Casablanca
Book? The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Place? St Lucia is pretty high on my list, but I haven’t seen enough of this world to single one spot out.
Happy song? ‘Come and get your love’ by Redbone
Breakfast? My fav green smoothie – spinach, pineapple, coconut water, spirulina, banana
Yoga teacher? Karta, Har Nal, Charanpal – I’m not going to decide between those three because I always learn something from each of them and love them all to bits 🙂
Beauty product? Pacifica’s roll on perfumes – Persian rose is my fav
Blog? I have set my Instagram up with my favourite blogs and writers so I get a regular update on what’s going on. The latest ‘find’ for me was DoSomethingForNothing – absolutely inspiring!
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