Yogini in Africa

They say there are no coincidences in life. I found out about it when I met an extraordinary yoga teacher. Kasia Noble is a lawyer by education, who, exploring the philosophy of yoga and experiencing its extraordinary power, found passion in spreading a holistic, healthy, and colorful approach to life. On a daily basis, the mother of little Inka divides her life between Poland, South Africa, and Bali.

You studied in Paris, lived in Bali, and spent many months in India. Where did the idea for Africa come from?

I have been always fascinated by Asia and its culture and I had always pictured myself ending up on that side of the world, so it was very unexpected to end up in Africa. Every morning when I wake up to the beautiful view of an African Table Mountain, it is a reminder of how unpredictable life can be and all the wonderful surprises it has in store for us. And that’s wonderful. Originally I come from Krakow, Poland. I then moved to Paris where I lived for many years. I worked in a law firm while I was completing my thesis for my law doctorate. In 2015 I started traveling to Asia and it was during my first trip to Bali that I realized how special that part of the world is and that it would become more than just a holiday destination for me.

And that’s exactly what happened. My heart yearned for something more than what life in Paris was able to give me, at that time. So I decided ti leave left my job, my thesis, and France behind. I had no idea how long I would be gone or what awaited me, but I knew I was headed for Bali.  Yoga was already a big part of my life and had helped me to become aware of my inner voice and to become more connected with myself. I knew I was on the right path and ended up making my home in Bali for 2 years. During this time I also spent several months in the foothills of the Himalayas in India, studying yoga and learning more and more about myself.  But Bali remained my home and it was where love found me – love from Africa.  On a very special night in late October 2018, I met my fiancé.  We lived in Bali together for a year before deciding to move to Cape Town for the next chapter of our adventure together.

I was love! What was your African engagement like?

We got engaged on a safari trip in the African bush. This trip was actually my surprise birthday gift. My star sign is Leo and it has been my big dream to see real lions, living free in their natural environment. I didn’t realize that these big cats would be so difficult to find and was reminded that they are wild, independent animals that would not just appear because I wanted to see them.  After 2 days of searching and not finding them, I accepted that the lions would not be making an appearance on this trip.  Which was not a problem for us as we were getting to experience the beauty of the African bush and seeing so many other wonderful animals roaming around us.  But on our last afternoon, the Lion King appeared in front of us.  Beautiful and majestic in his own kingdom.  This was a very emotional moment for me and it felt as if time had stopped. Being surrounded by so much natural beauty and the power of nature brought pure joy to my heart and allowed me to regain my perception of the world and my place in it. The trip had lardy being filled with so many emotions and surprises and the engagement was the cherry on top. It was so unique!

However, it is not easy to find a lion in the bush. After all, it is still a very independent cat. For that reason I didn’t expect much, fully accepting that the lions will not make an appearance, savoring the beauty of the African bush and the whole crowd of wonderful, happy animals around us. All of a sudden and to our surprise, the Lion King did show up, beautiful, majestic, in his own kingdom. This was a very touching moment. The time has stopped for a little while. The feeling of being surrounded by such a wilderness brings lots of pure joy into my heart. It calms you down and brings lots of distance to the world and your own self. The great power of nature. The trip was filled with emotions, surprises, and the overwhelming beauty of African nature. The engagement was the cherry on the cake. Very unexpected, but at the same time very natural, bringing the feeling that this is the flow of our life and everything is how it’s supposed to be. We are now planning an African wedding. Maybe the Lions will show up!

Let’s go back to yoga. How has the practice of yoga influenced your life?Yoga has changed my life on many levels. Starting from the way I eat, and take care of my body, and my interactions with the world, people, nature, and myself. Yoga brought balance, harmony, and happiness back into my life. Happiness was lost somewhere in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. A seemingly perfect life in a beautiful Paris wasn’t bringing me much satisfaction and joy. On the contrary, I felt like I was taking part in a pointless chase/race that was bringing more and more frustrations. Yoga was like a breath of fresh air. Bringing new horizons, distance, and new views on life. It allowed me to reconnect with myself, hear the voice of intuition, and find the courage and strength to follow it. It filled me with calm and peace. Although, like everyone, I have better and worse days, not always everything goes according to my plan and there are many challenges on my way, I feel with all my heart that this is the right path and everything has its reasons. Thanks to regular yoga practice, meditation, and breathwork I learn how to use yogic wisdom off the mat, in my everyday life, dealing more consciously with its difficulties and challenges. This is what keeps me in harmony and balance. I always encourage everyone to take time, connect with themselves, and hear out their melody. This is the main message that I want to send out to everyone who comes to my yoga classes.

In your opinion, Africa is a good place to practice yoga?

You would think that there is no better place to practice yoga than in India or Bali, yogis mekka. However, Africa brought to my life something new: a stronger-than-ever connection with nature. Apart from breathtaking views, being out there in nature brings us a deep sense of calm, rejuvenates us, and helps to deal with anger, frustrations, and fears. It simply shows you a bigger picture and makes you feel you are a part of something bigger than yourself. This sense of being surrounded by nature is very much sensed in South Africa. From the majestic Table Mountain that overlooks the city, Lion’s Head, and Singal Hill (perfect sunrise spot) descend to the water of the ocean, incredibly vast, snow-white African beaches, an untamed ocean with huge waves, a paradise for surfers. And if that isn’t enough, you can hop in a car and drive outside the city, where in less than an hour you will discover beautiful vineyards and green landscapes. There is something special about the nature connection here. It is actually believed that Table Mountain is one of the Earth’s Chakrasm which simply means that it radiates with a powerful energy that can be sensed by humans, it intensifies the sense of peace in our mind and allows us to sink deeper into the meditation practices.
Moreover, in Africa, we find a whole range of beautiful and fresh, locally grown vegetables and exotic fruits. It’s a paradise for me to discover new vegan colorful recipes. Africa is wonderful 🙂 and it quickly became my home. Every day everything that surrounds me reminds me of how lucky I am that I can develop and work on my practice on and off the mat in such a beautiful special place on earth.

What is your recipe for balance, happiness, and harmony?

I believe in a holistic approach to life, taking care of our body, mind, and soul at the same time. That is where my Instagram name came from: @M_Y_BODYANDSOUL which stands for Mind Your BODY AND SOUL. Yoga, meditation, good nutritious foods, and contact with nature are my remedies for all troubles, the ones coming from the body, mind, or heart. I deeply believe that we all have the recipe for our happiness already inside us, often we just don’t spend enough time to allow this voice to come through and guide us through life. Yoga and meditation are incredible tools that allow us to do that, to connect with the true nature of ourselves. It teaches us how to calm the monkey mind, deal with difficult emotions, and where to look for relief and peace.
Apart from yoga, I was always in love with cooking. I cook vegan and vegan RAW, which is my big passion. The more colours, nutrients, and love on your plate, the more joy and vitality in your body and your heart. What you eat, you become. And it doesn’t only apply to food, it applies to the environment we live in, to stress and negative thinking patterns. Stress, anxiety, and tension from our lives are often stored in our bodies and they influence how we feel physically. Yoga and meditation help us to relieve the tension and bring ourselves back to balance. YIN Yoga which I love helps us to get rid of deeply stored traumas, emotions, and stress from our body and also our mind and heart. Yin Yoga is for me a real magic. Both, on the mat and in my food I try to encourage everyone to listen to their inner voice, to make good and healthy choices in your life, giving yourself all the love, compassion, and kindness, giving yourself time, being respectful and loving towards nature. This all pays off in a sense of balance and harmony that comes from within and is also available to us.

Can you share with us your famous Raw chocolate cake recipe?

Yes, of course. You know, cacao is a super powerful seed. Living in Bali I started to appreciate and learn more about it. The warm and humid climate of Indonesia makes it a great place to grow cacao seeds. I will tell you more about it in some RAW cooking workshops one day, and for now let me only tell you that this CAKE is pure goodness for your mind, body, and soul. Cacao stimulates us gently, is rich in antioxidants, improves our memory, helps to deal with stress and simply makes us happy. Remember to choose the RAW version, which will bring the most incredible improvement in health properties.

Chocolate RAW cake recipe.