Bridges for Music – installing healthy, creative leadership
Bridges for Music academy, in the heart of an old part of Langa, just outside Cape Town City, inspires well-being. It’s students are guided towards a healthy way of life, because its co-founder, Valentino Barrioseta, thinks of himself and the small group of students, as being in a community leadership program. Valentino knows that the world, and this country, needs forward thinking, gifted individuals that are also musicians, or working in the music field, who can actually help bring about a brighter future.
Installing well-being, i.e. actually sharing techniques and inspiration to acquire health, in those open to actively pursue a life path that includes a healing path, has been at the core of my yoga teaching since the day I discovered yoga for the first time. What a nice opportunity to lead a workshop at such a place!
I am presenting a yoga session at the Unity Jam Festival 15 December, 12.35 PM, Muizenberg Civic Centre, Beach Pavilion. Get tickets online for 2 day festivities, all access (2 days) or single day. 
Bliss unfolds… slowly… interesting for me is how a twin passion of mine, music and yoga, has led me through decades in search of the reputed joy of “follow your bliss”. Smooth sailing it certainly has not been, although, in fairness, there simply is no ways one can integrate life lessons and ideals without trail and error. While it may be a fine balance to manage a teaching that is open to miracles and grounded in reality, it helped me develop a bigger picture view or context, and ability to fine tune details. The stuff liberation is made of.
An important aspect of building body to spirit bridges is, for me, the structures, order, with harmony and alignment, that kicks in when there is a clear connection between “self” and “life”, or “being” and the Universe. Essentially (call the components of being by whatever name), being soulful, in the Universe, as a reflection of Brahma (Creator and Creation). While some considers Yoga as a Hindu or Indian way of thinking, it is in fact clearly a universal, non-religious system. The human being, informed, or guided, by Soul, in line with its Higher Self, Sattvic Nature, has the necessary guidance and support to be in the flow. Liberation follows – freedom from constraints. And living like this is way more fun and enjoyable than any other way of being – be that in the zone, on or off the yoga mat, or “in life” as it goes on around us.
Yoga says: Know Who You Are – BodyMind, Breather, Earthling with a Higher Self, a Human Being and a Universal Being. Yoga reveals to us how to nourish ourselves, while we function, in the world. Because it reminds us that we are always part of All That Is – the whole Creation, we are always co-creators. This is Who We Really Are.
Johann Kotze
Cape Town
December 2019