Leaving home to live the dream – Interview with…

I am so excited I got to interview this super cool guy! Martin has left home and moved to Barcelona to live his dream. Personally, I love to read these kind of stories as it inspires and motivates me to get out there and just go for what is important to me!

Please introduce yourself. When did you come to Barcelona? Why?

My name is Martin Mezei, I’m a Yoga Teacher, Event Organizer and Life Coach.

I was born in Budapest, Hungary but raised around the globe. I came to Barcelona to live my dream of being the highest version of myself, and help others live a more fulfilling life.

Do Yoga and Veganism go hand in hand?

Yes and No, depending on your interpretation.

Yoga, outside of the physical postures which are so popular today, is actually a practice of becoming one with the divine energy within us. This same energy, the same soul is within all sentient beings.

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For that reason, one major focus in Yoga is “Ahimsa” which means “non-violence”.

Ahimsa is interpreted different ways. It’s the reason why most Yogis are vegetarians, because they wouldn’t want an animal killed to have a meal.

To me personally, it makes sense to live life doing the least harm to other living beings possible. This, in a modern context equals Veganism, as all industrially produced animal products cause suffering.

However, ancient Yogis were lacto-vegetarian, and consumed plenty of milk products. This was before industrialisation of course, when cows didn’t have to suffer to provide milk to humans with whom they lived in harmony with as sacred animals.

Why Yoga? How long have you been doing it for?

Yoga, as a system, is as old as humankind itself, hence we still use the Sanskrit words to describe many concepts, to keep its tradition alive in the most respectful way possible.

You can find drawings of people in Yoga postures from ancient South American Civilizations, Ancient Egypt, and of course the Indush Valley. It is a technology/tool to disassociate from your ego and physical self and get closer to your higher, spiritual self. The fact that such a things exists fascinated my from the start, when I got into it 5 years ago.

The word Yoga means unity, and refers to the act of becoming one with “Atman” the supersoul, or the energy of love and creation encompassing everything around us.

I’m still into the same things as I was before I started Yoga: martial arts, working out, eating well, and blasting Hip Hop Music. 🙂 The way I evolved has not changed my interests, maybe I’m less interested in buying and having stuff, and more interested in experiencing life itself.

I recently visited India and as you have told me you have been there as well. What did you do there?

I have been to Rishikesh to get my Yoga Teacher certification and learn from my Guru, Yogi Chandrakant Ji.

I chose to go there to get out of my comfort zone, deepen my practice and discover a new culture.

I have been to one of your events. It has been an absolutely incredible experience. Tell us more about your events. Who are they for?

Thank you, that means a lot. My events are a way for people to connect over mindfulness, movement, music, relaxing spaces and inspiring talks.

It’s for anyone that wants to discover ways of getting high on life and having real, profound connections with others. You don’t have to drink alcohol or abuse any substances to have fun and meet people, like we do when we go out to bars or clubbing.

Our default state is happiness, and my experiences are here to remind people of that. We have just gotten approved on AirBnB experiences and will be much more accessible for travelers, which I’m very excited about.

Do you have tips for anyone who wants to do you yoga or is just starting out?

Start simple, and be aware of the power of the tool you’re using.

3 steps to experience Yoga in its essence is to do Asanas (postures), Pranayama (breathing) followed my Dhyana (meditation)

I recommend doing Sun Salutatiosn for a start “Surya Namaskar”, and a simple breathing exercise like Nadi Sodhana (Alternate Nose Breathing)

A few rounds of Sun Salutations and 2 minutes of Pranayama, with meditation in the end is a life changing daily practice already.

By doing this practice on your own or with a teacher a few times, you will understand why Yoga is still so popular and relevant after thousands of years.

The rest will come. There is so much to learn about each aspect of Yoga, that is truly a lifelong journey.

Best of luck, Namaste and lots of love!

Now, I hope you learned something from this amazing interview. I surely did! Let me know what you think.

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With love,

Jessx