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"If I hadn't hit rock bottom, I would never have been a yoga instructor." Patricia Galatas (Madrid, October 25, 1969), better known as Pati, is a great example of how to overcome the greatest adversity. "I took it for granted that I would spend the rest of my life with my husband Fernando. But, from one day to the next, I found myself alone. I had to accept the grief and look deep inside myself to be able to overcome it," she recalls, still emotional.

That December 2011, cancer vanished his entire world. She felt very close to the couple, so she stopped making sense of what she was doing and embarked on a journey of escape. It lasted seven years and took him to part of Europe, Mexico and the United States, he says. "I was an entrepreneur and very athletic. We also worked together. Even then I did yoga because I was very nervous and it calmed my anxiety."

One of the impossible 'asanas' of the yogi, who confesses to being self-taught and worshipping strength. Concha Galatas

Therefore, feeling lost, she decided to look for teachers specialized in the millenary discipline. "Yoga was my daily companion. Every day, I cried on the mat, connected very deeply and that was my best therapy," she describes. A path of healing that made him strengthen his body, free his mind and transform his interior. To the point of wanting to dedicate themselves to it.

"I never considered becoming a teacher. It's something that came naturally," Galatas acknowledges. He has taught such famous people as the socialite Tamara Falcó, the interior designer Lorenzo Castillo, the producer of MasterChef Macarena Rey and the businessman Javier Goyeneche, CEO of Ecoalf.

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Now, share all that vital experience about the mat in Yoga to change your life (Lunwerg Editores), the first of two books with which he closes that sad stage. "I also write about the pain of losing a loved one and how that hard blow forces you to stop living outward to start living inward and be able to overcome it. I think it can help people."

THE RESURGENCE OF THE PHOENIX

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She started without knowing what an asana was and has ended up being an expert in impossible postures that are the result of an internal struggle. "I've always been self-taught. There is no more secret than perseverance and discipline." He recognizes that he will never be able to leave it. "There are always new challenges and it's my way of being with myself. A physical escape valve that also takes care of my mind."

It is curious, he explains, how there are days in which he believes himself very strong and the mat gives him a bath of humility. Others, on the other hand, are very tired and, nevertheless, make the practice their own and help them grow and feel better. "I finish totally renovated."

In the pandemic, his Instagram profile was fuming after live sessions. "Many people discovered yoga in the lockdown stage and integrated the practice." He perceives that the boom continues since then "to calm the anxiety of this vital race in which we are immersed, especially in the big cities".

SIMPLE TOOL

Following the loss of his partner, Galatas lived a deep connection with yoga. Concha Galatas

Galatas insists that yoga is never boring and there is a modality and adaptation for each person. Yours is very active, because you need to defuse tensions before relaxing to meditate. "In Los Angeles I was chosen by Master Zi, who taught me Naga, a yoga linked to martial arts." But there are modalities closer to mindfulness, he says.

"I always advise trying various classes and styles, because there are too many wrong beliefs. As soon as you experience it, you realize the myriad of benefits. They are innumerable," he adds. The biggest one, for her, is the possibility of stopping and breathing to have another perspective. "When you stop acting on autopilot and get out of the maelstrom, that vicious cycle of stress, you go back to your center, wake up and take everything differently. You don't respond equally to concerns."

A mat and, if anything, elements such as blocks and belt – to adapt the positions that are not reached – are enough. "In the third class you can already see how the body begins to be stronger and more flexible, and the mind more equitable," he promises.

She is also preparing a virtual platform recording classes and is going to organize yoga retreats in nature. "When you break with your routine and habits you manage to disconnect very quickly." His students and those who write to him spontaneously through social networks tell him how discipline engages and helps them sleep better. "It's a simple tool that provides value for personal growth."

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