Jurnal de mini calatorie: Milano

Jurnal de mini calatorie: Milano

Am promis ca revin cu detalii despre press trip-ul din Milano, la invitatia Samsung, asa ca m-am pus pe scris. Ce m-a mirat a fost ca din primul moment m-au rugat sa iau cu mine  in bagajul de calatorie si un echipament de miscare. Hmm…inedit, mi-am zis, si chiar am intuit corect. Pentru ca cele 2 zile petrecute alaturi de echipa Samsung, jurnalisti si bloggeri de lifestyle din intreaga lume, au fost cu adevarat inedite. Am profitat de prezenta la acest eveniment ca sa ii iau un interviu lui Luke Bache, maestru yoghin, special pentru voi, prietenii acestui blog.

 

EN: I promised I would get back with details from the Milan press trip, invited by Samsung, so here they are. What was intriguing was that they asked me in advance to pack some workout clothes. Hmmm…unique, I thought to myself, and I was right. Because the 2 days spent with the Samsung team, journalists and lifestyle bloggers from around the world, were truly unique. Especially for you, friends of this blog, I took the opportunity to interview Luke Bache, yoga master.

Intalnirea cu influencerii (n-aveti idee cat de tare ma amuza acest cuvant folosit foarte des in agentiile de publicitate de la noi), bloggerii si jurnalistii de lifestyle din intreaga lume s-a petrecut vara aceasta, la Milano. In prima zi cand am ajuns am avut timp sa ma plimb putin prin oras: Domul din Milano, o pizza in centru, o vizita si o cumparatura la concept store-ul Corso Como … si uite asa am stabilit un record de pasi pe noul meu Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge primit cadou chiar de la organizatori, odata ajunsa la destinatie. Facusem in cateva ore vreo 20 mii de pasi, cu care m-am laudat toata seara celorlalti participanti, in timpul unei “competitii” lansate intre noi, cu tema “care s-a plimbat azi mai mult prin Milano”. Eram castigatoare cu recordul meu, cel putin la masa la care stateam in timpul cinei. Si daca tot am pomenit, cina pregatita de organizatori, intr-o mansarda a unui restaurant din Milano, a avut o atmosfera superba. Mi-a placut la nebunie sa stau la povesti cu jurnalisti din Olanda, Italia sau …Coreea de Sud (unde se stie ca Samsung e ON TOP).

A doua zi de dimineata am pus echipamentul de miscare pe noi si am plecat spre sediul Samsung din oras. Primisem cu totii un fel de kit pentru aceasta calatorie, in care pe langa un tricou, un prosop de sala sau o sticla speciala pentru apa, era si un smartwatch Gear Fit 2, care sa ne ajute in timpul antrenamentului. De altfel, asa am si reusit sa invat sa umblu pe el, caci in timpul antrenamentului sustinut de Adrian Collins (personal trainer, care a antrenat de-a lungul timpului nume sonore de la Hollywood), tot reveneam la el cu privirea sa verific cati pasi, cate calorii si alte detalii ale eficientei muncii mele. Cel mai tare exercitiu pe care l-am facut cu Adrian a fost cu ajutorul unei mingi de tenis. Vi-l recomand cu toata convingerea! Stai in picioare si rulezi talpa unui picior deasupra mingii, apasand atat ca te simti confortabil. Relaxeaza toti muschii, nervii, articualtiile si tot ce o mai fi pe acolo prin talpa atat de obosita dupa un record de mers pe jos. Senzatia este bestiala. El recomanda sa faci genul acesta de exericitiu si cand stai la birou, deci in sezut, si ca poti inlocui mingea de tenis cu una de golf, daca treci la “avansati”. Sa imi spuneti cum vi se pare exercitiul, daca il incercati.

A urmat un brunch in sediul Samsung, unde am vazut o multime de electronice si electrocasince absolut SF, unele doar in faza de prototip, altele lansate deja, dar neaduse inca pe piata din Romania. Ca de exemplu un frigider inteligent Samsung, a carui usa nu trebuia sa o deschizi ca sa verifici ce e inauntru, caci la un simplu buton iti aparea un display pe usa lui cu imaginea dinauntru! Puteai seta data la care expira fiecare produs, iar frigiderul te anunta din timp pe mobil care produse se apropie de data limita. Ori putea sa iti recomande o serie de retete cu alimentele pe care le ai deja in frigider! Este incredibil unde s-a ajuns cu tehnologia…

Ne-am intors apoi in sala de miscare, unde a urmat o sesiune de meditatie yoga, condusa de Luke Bache, therapeuticyoga consultant. In timpul acestei sedinte de relaxare am folosit castile Gear IconX nou lansate, care sunt geniale. Auzeam vocea lui cand in urechea stanga, cand in cea dreapta si ideea era sa te relaxezi…total. Adica sa nu te gandesti la nimic altceva, doar la ce indrumari primeai prin intermediul castilor. Daca va ganditi: “trebuie sa ma concetrez la ce mi se spune”, inseamna ca nu sunteti inca relaxati. Asa mi-am dat seama cat de greu mi-a fost sa ma deconectez de restul lucrurilor, sa imi opresc alte ganduri paralele si doar sa fiu acolo, in  momentul ala, in mijocul exercitiului de meditatie. Imi treceau prin cap o multime de ganduri: “la ce ora am avion? Dana, concentreaza-te… da, deci ce zice sa fac cu piciorul?? hm, ce voce blanda are…nu, Dana, nu e bine, asta e un gand parazit. Apropo de parazit, trebuie sa il vaccinez pe Yorick…Ah, fuck… “. Cred ca din 30 de minute doar vreo 2 am fost acolo, ascultand mesajul lui Luke si muzica ambientala transmisa prin castile wireless Gear IconX. Am tras pe loc concluzia ca sunt mega-stresata si ca e cazul sa ma inscriu la un curs de yoga in tara. I-am luat un interviu lui Luke, pe care il puteti citi mai jos. Sper sa va placa.

Ultima activitate de grup, alaturi de restul invitatiilor, a fost o tura prin Milano cu Camera Gear360, pe care abia o astept in Romania! Nu stiu daca realizati, dar lumea se schimba acum enorm, odata cu aparitia acestui tip de camera. Cu ochelarii Gear VR pusi pe cap, poti sa vezi cum e pe varful unui munte pe care fizicul tau nu iti permite sa ajungi, pe fundul unui ocean sau intr-o sala de operatii. Deja elevi din tarile occindentale au avut ore de clasa de acest gen, iar studentii la medicina au asistat virtual la interventii complicate. Nu stiu daca ati incercat vreodata experienta, dar este fascinanta. Cand vezi un video acum, stii ca ti s-a aratat un singur unghi de vedere, ca imaginea a fost editata etc. Pe cand atunci cand poti urmari 360 de grade un eveniment, ai imaginea de ansamblu, si poti privi din toate unghiurile/perspectivele o situatie prezentata. I-am zis lui Radu ca trebuie sa ne luam si noi una, am atat de multe idei cu o astfel de camera 360 grade.

La finalul tuturor activitatilor, mi-am dat seama cat de bine a fost gandit acest eveniment. In contextul in care gadgeturile in ziua de azi tind sa te tina mai mult izolat, la tine acasa, sedentar si plictisit de tot si toate, organizatorii au reusit sa prezinte utilitatea tuturor produselor nou lansate intr-un mediu activ (si pe alocuri solicitant fizic) si in esenta social. M-am simtit grozav si le multumesc pe aceasta cale pentru invitatie. La mai multe! 🙂

Va las interviul cu maestrul yoghin Luke Bache, care poate va va inspira si pe voi sa va inscrieti la un curs de yoga:

 

• Care este legatura intre tehnologie si yoga?

Yoga si meditatia sunt tehnici stravechi care ajuta practicantul sa dezvolte un simt al trupului si sufletului. Ambele incurajeaza o practica linistita, calma, comfortabila, mentinand o prezenta a non judecatii. Cuvantul “meditatie” poate parea intimidant dar acum putem sa folosim tehnologia pentru a asculta un invatator care ne ghideaza prin diferite stadia, chiar si atunci cand suntem la birou sau in tren! Este o perioada foarte interesanta pentru yoga si meditatie. Samsung IconX este device-ul perfect pentru a incuraja practicarea meditatiei, deoarece tehnologia cordless inseamna ca te poti deconecta si gasi mindfulness oricand, oriunde. Ele iti masoara deasemenea si pulsul, astfel dupa practicare poti sa vezi cum reactioneaza bataile inimii, cu aplicatia S Health care vine preinstalata pe Samsung Galaxy S7.

• Cand si cum ai descoperit yoga?

Am descoperit yoga cand aveam 17 ani. Dintotdeauna mi-am droit sa fiu jucator profesionist de rugby dar am avut cateva accidente care m-au dus catre incercarea de a face yoga. Apoi am calatorit prin lume pentru a cauta alte preocupari spirituale. Am locuit alaturi de calugari Shaolin in China, am petrecut o luna in Tailanda meditand in tacere si apoi mi-am regasit drumul spre yoga. Pentru mine, yoga este o combinatie de meditatii, dar reprezinta atat o provocare fizica, cat si mentala.

• Ce sfat i-ai da cuiva care n-a incercat niciodata yoga?

Nu este niciodata prea tarziu sa incepi! Yoga este o activitate minunata pentru a-ti imbunatati sanatatea. Iti poate imbunatati sanatatea mentala, fizica si emotionala. Nu conteaza ce conditie fizica ai acum, exista pozitii care te pot ajuta sa-ti imbunatatesti forta si flexibilitatea. Eu sunt terapeut yoga si vad in fiecare zi beneficiile minunata pe care yoga le poate aduce in viata cuiva. Mie mi-a schimbat intr-adevar viata. Nu numai fizic, dar m-a ajutat sa prelucrez multe dureri emotionale din trecut si imi doresc sa impartasesc asta cu cat mai multe lume. Cu tehnologia din ziua de azi, este foarte usor sa faci loc si pentru yoga in parcursul zilei tale, in special cu device-uri ca IconX.  Daca incarci un podcast pentru meditatie in casti, poti oricand sa strecori 15 minute de practicare fara sa fii deranjat.

• Care sunt locurile ideale pentru a practica yoga?

Yoga este o practica de viata. Deseori oamenii intra intr-o sala de curs si invata cum sa fie mai calmi, cum sa fie prezenti si cum sa incetineasca. Apoi in momentul in care se incheie cursul, fug pe usa, isi continua vietile agitate si uita imediat ce au invatat! In timpul practicarii pozitiilor, o camera linistita care nu e prea calduroasa sau rece e ideala. Insa viata este o practica de yoga. Sa nu fi violent cu altii, continutul si adevarul sunt cateva exemple de principia yogine despre care se vorbeste in faimoasele texte yogine ale lui Pantajali.

• Te rog explica exercitiul din tipul evenimentului Gear Fit si beneficiile acestuia!

In timpul sesiunii am ascultat o inregistrare special ape Samsung IconX, care era o versiune specializata a yoga nidra. Aceasta este o relaxare yogina in care ne gasim o pozitie comfortabila in sezut sau intins si apoi ghidam mintea prin corp. Aceasta ajuta la eliminarea tensiunilor sau emotiilor adunate in diferite parti ale corpului intr-un mod constient. In timp ce corpul se relaxeaza, ceea ce a cauzat tensiunea este eliberat. In loc sa reactionam la acest gand sau emotie si sa continuam povestea, noi ramanem relaxati si ii permitam sa iasa la suprafata. Astfel lucram partea frontala a creierului nostrum, cortex-ul pre frontal. Practicand aceasta observare non reactiva ne umflam efectiv partea frontala a creierului, ceea ce ne ajuta sa luam decizii mai bune in viata! Acest gen de relaxare yogina a avut parte de numeroase studii stiintifice si toate au dovedit ca are efecte vindecatoare minunate. S-a demonstrat ca scade tensiunea arteriala, bataile inimii si ca transpune persoana mai mult in sistemul nervos parasimpatic, in care vindecarea trupului poate sa aiba loc.

• Folosesti aplicatii pentru sport si stil de viata sanatos in viata de zi cu zi?

Ceea ce e grozav la telefoanele Samsung este ca ele au o aplicatie S Health preinstalata, care reprezinta o modalitate facila de a te asigura ca esti pe calea cea buna cu un stil de viata sanatos. Eu o folosesc pentru a numara pasii facuti si pentru a ma asigura ca sunt mereu activ, de asemenea imi setez si target-uri pentru a masura cat de bine ma descurc in fiecare zi.

• Te rog explica-ne legatura pe care o ai cu poporul roman, legatura care s-a creat prin fosta ta profesoara de yoga!

Profesoara mea este Mihaela Pentiuc. Este o femeie minunata, inteligenta si altruista. Este doctor, homeopat si yogina si o reala inspiratie. Sunt foarte norocos ca am cunoscut-o si le multumesc parintilor ei romani pentru ca au crescut o fiinta atat de minunata.

EN: The meeting with the influencers (you have no idea how much this word, which is used very often by the advertising agencies, amuses me),bloggers and journalists took place this summer, in Milan. On the first day we got there, I had some time to wonder around the city: the Duomo in Milan, a pizza downtown, a tour and some shopping from the Corso Como concept store…and this is how I established a new record for steps on my new Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, which I got as a gift from the hosts when I got there. Within a few hours I took about 20 thousand steps, which I have bragged about all evening to the other participants, during a “competition” with the theme “who had the best walk in Milan today”. I was the winner with my record, at least at our dinner table. And since I mentioned it, the dinner, in the attic of a Milan restaurant, had a beautiful atmosphere. I loved talking to journalists from Holland, Italy or… South Korea (where everyone knows Samsung is ON TOP).   

The next morning we put on our workout clothes and left for the Samsung headquarter. We all received a sort of kit for this trip, where, besides a t-shirt, towel or a special water bottle, there was also a Gear Fit 2 smartwatch, to help us during the workout. I have learned to use it, because during the workout by Adrian Collins (personal trainer, who has trained many famous people from Hollywood), I kept looking at it to check how many steps, calories and other details of my work efficiency were recorded. The coolest exercise we made with Adrian was with the help of a tennis ball. I highly recommend it!  Sit up straight and roll your foot over the ball, pushing just as hard as you feel comfortable with. It relaxes all the muscles, nerves, joints and whatever else is there in the tired foot, after a walking record. The feeling is awesome. He recommends doing this exercise while sitting down at the office, and replacing the tennis ball with a golf one, so you go “pro”. Tell me how you find this exercise, if you try it out.

Then we had a brunch at the Samsung HQ, where we saw many electronic and kitchen applies which were absolutely SciFi, some just as prototypes, some already launched, but not available on the Romanian market yet. For instance a smart fridge from Samsung, which door you didn’t have to open to see what’s inside, because just by pressing a button a display on its door showed up with the image from inside! You could set the date of expiry for each product, and the fridge would let you know in advance on your cell phone which product is close to expiring. Or it could recommend some recipes, based on the food you already have in the fridge! It’s unbelievable where technology has already taken us…  

We went back to the workout room, where a yoga meditation session followed, led by Luke Bache, therapeutic yoga consultant. During this relaxation session we used the newly launched Gear IconX headphones, which are genius. I could hear his voice once in the left ear and then in the right ear and the idea was to relax…completely. To not think of anything else, only of the guidance you would receive through the headphones. If you’re thinking: “I have to focus on what I’m being told”, it means you’re not relaxed yet. That’s how I realized how hard it was for me to tune out from the rest of the things, to stop parallel thoughts and just be there, in that moment, in the middle of the meditation exercise.  I had all sort of thoughts going through my head: “what time is my flight? Dana, focus…yes, so what should I do with my leg?? hm, his voice is so soft…no, Dana that’s not right, this is a parasite thought. By the way, I have to vaccinate Yorick… …Ah, fuck… “. I think out of 30 minutes, I was only there for about 2, listening to Luke’s message and the ambient music in the wireless Gear IconX headphones. On the spot, I have come to the conclusion that I am really stressed out and I need to sign up for a yoga class. I took an interview from Luke, which you can read below. I hope you’ll like it.

The last group activity, together with the rest of the guests, was a tour through Milan with the Gear360 camera, which I can hardly wait for in Romania! I don’t know if you realize, but the world is changing a lot right now, together with this type of camera. With the Gear VR glasses, you can see what it’s like on the top of mountain, which your body wouldn’t allow you to reach, on the bottom of the ocean or in an operating room.  Students from Western countries have already had classes of this sort, and the Medical students have virtually assisted complicated interventions. I don’t know if you have ever tried out the experience, but it’s fascinating. When you see a video now, you know you have only been shown one angle, that the image was edited etc. Whereas when you can watch an event from a 360 degrees perspective, you get the entire picture, and you can watch from all the angles/ perspectives from a given situation. I told Radu we have to get one of those, I have so many ideas about such a 360 degrees camera.

At the end of all activities, I realized how well this event was thought out. In the context of gadgets keeping you mostly indoors nowadays, the hosts have managed to present the utility of all the freshly launched products in an active environment (and also physically challenging) and basically social. I felt great and I would hereby like to thank them for the invitation. To many more to come! 🙂

I leave you with the interview with the yoga master Luke Bache, which might inspire you to join a yoga class:

1. What is the connection between technology and yoga? 

 

Yoga and meditation are ancient technologies to help the practitioner develop a sense of one’s own body and mind. Both encourage calm, comfortable practice, keeping a non judgmental presence.

The word ‘meditation’ can seem intimidating but now we can use technology to listen to a teacher guiding us through the different stages even when we are sat in the office or on a train! It is a very exciting time for yoga and meditation.

The Samsung IconX is the perfect device to help encourage meditation practice as the cordless technology means you can switch off and find mindfulness at anytime, in any place.

They also measure your pulse so after practice you will be able to see how your heart rate responds and calms on the S Health feature that comes pre-installed on the Samsung Galaxy S7.

 

2. When and how did you discover yoga?

 

I discovered yoga when I was 17. I had always wanted to be a professional rugby player but had struggled with injuries and this led me to try yoga. I then travelled around the world searching for other spiritual pursuits. I lived with Shaolin Monks in China, spent a month in Thailand meditating in silence and then found my way back to yoga. 

For me, yoga is a combination of meditations, but it also gives me a physical challenge as well as mental.

 

3. What advice would you give to someone who hasn’t tried yoga yet?

 

It’s never too late to start! Yoga is a wonderful activity to improve your health. It can improve your mental, physical and emotional health.

No matter what shape you are in now there are postures to help you increase your strength and flexbility.  I am a yoga therapist and I see every day the wonderful benefits that yoga can bring into someone’s life. 

It truly changed my life. Not just physically, but it helped me deal with a lot of previous emotional pain and I want to share it with as many people as possible.

With technology today it is really easy to fit meditation into your day, especially with devices like the IconX.  If you upload a meditation podcast to the earbuds, you can pop out at any moment to take 15 minutes to practice without any distractions. 

 

4. What are the ideal places for practicing yoga?

 

Yoga is a life practice. Often people go into a classroom and learn how to be calmer, how to be present and how to slow down. Then the moment the class finishes they run out the door, continue their hectic lives and immediately forget what they have learned!

When practising the postures a quiet room that isn’t too hot or cold is ideal. But life is a practice of yoga. To be non violent to others, content and truthful are a few examples of yogic principles that are spoken about in the famous yogi Pantajali’s texts.

 

5. Please explain the exercise you made during the Gear Fit event and what it’s benefits are!

 

During the session we listened to a bespoke recording on the Samsung IconX which was a specialised version of yoga nidra. 

This is a yogic relaxation in which we find a comfortable sitting or lying position and then guide the mind throughout the body. This helps release stored tensions or emotions from different body parts in a mindful way. As the body relaxes what was causing the tension is released. Instead of reacting to this thought or emotion and continuing the story we remain relaxed and allow it to come up. This is training the front part of our brain, the pre frontal cortex. By practising this non reactive observing we literally pump up the front part of the brain, helping us to make better decisions in life!

This type of yogic relaxation has received numerous scientific studies and they all show the wonderful healing effects. It has been shown to lower blood pressure, heart rate and bring the person more into their Parasympathetic nervous system in which the body’s healing can occur.

 

6. Do you use apps for sport and a healthy lifestyle in your everyday life?

 

What’s great about Samsung phones is that they have an S Health app pre-installed, which is an easy way to make sure you’re on track for a healthy lifestyle. I use it to track my steps and make sure I’m staying active, I also set goals so I can measure how well I’m doing daily.

 

7. Please explain the connection you have with the Romanian people, a connection which was established through your former yoga teacher! 

 

My teacher is Mihaila Pentiuc. She is a wonderful, intelligent and selfless woman. She is a doctor, homeopath and yogi and a true inspiration. I am so lucky to have met her and I thank her Romanian parents for raising such a wonderful being.