Interview with Deddou from Pop Up Yoga

With their Pop Up Yoga Concept Deddou Burkhardt is revolutionising the Zurich yoga world. Whether it's yoga at the Zurich Art Museum, on the rooftops of the city or even in India, the likeable Swiss woman can be found everywhere with a group doing yoga or intensive meditation. For Biomazing, the radiant power woman answers questions that have been burning on our tongues for a long time:

Biomazing: Dear Deddou, thank you very much for taking the time for this interview! We are delighted to be able to chat to you. When did you decide that you wanted to become a yoga teacher?
Deddou (laughs): Yes, this was actually not an overnight decision. I always had the desire to lead people around me to greater well-being and satisfaction. I didn't realise for a long time how I wanted to achieve this. Even after completing my first yoga teacher training in New York, I wasn't sure whether I would ever teach myself or simply integrate what I had learnt into my own life. Back in Switzerland, the ball started rolling and at some point I was suddenly standing in front of a lot of yogi eyes and was teaching.

Biomazing: How did the idea of founding POP UP YOGA come about?
Deddou: From the very beginning, I wanted to inspire people to break out of the monotony of everyday life and immerse themselves in life full of energy. That's why it was important to me to take the philosophy of yoga out of the studio and into everyday life. With POP UP YOGA I can do just that and we roll out our mats on a roof terrace, in an art gallery, in a club or in a restaurant.

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Biomazing: What does yoga trigger in you, why is it so important to you?
Deddou: Yoga is a way of life for me and gives me various tools to listen better to my body, to recognise my reactive behaviour patterns and to deal consciously with my fellow human beings and my environment. It constantly encourages me to think about myself and life. In concrete terms, it is my constant companion and teacher in my everyday life, job, hobby and passion.

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Biomazing: Why would you recommend someone to try yoga themselves, and how? 
Deddou: You MUST try yoga for yourself. You can't just read about it, you have to experience it. Then you can form an opinion about it. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for more than just a sporting activity. Because yoga gives you food for thought, relieves stress, grounds you, shows you your limits, gives you a sense of achievement and keeps your body and mind fit and young.

Biomazing: How do you define health for yourself? Do you follow a special diet?
Deddou: Health means that I feel good in my own skin and have energy and stamina for the day. Health means freedom of movement and a sparkling radiance! I eat consciously, try to listen to my body and eat a balanced and varied diet. I have been eating a vegetarian diet for almost 5 years and have had much more energy since then.

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Biomazing: Why is sustainability an important concept for you?
Deddou: Because I try to live and act consciously. It's important to me to think about the consequences of my actions and I want to cause as little "suffering" as possible. Sustainable doesn't mean blindly following every trend, but living and consuming authentically. I try to act sustainably in my everyday life in particular by limiting my consumption somewhat and paying attention to packaging, country of origin, organic labels and seasons. I'm not perfect and 100% consistent, because yes, I also like to take a long-haul flight to the south. Nevertheless, I try to live consciously and make conscious choices.

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Biomazing: How did you get to know Biomazing?
Deddou: I got to know Biomazing and its founder Anna through my friend Katrin Roth.

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Biomazing: Who inspires you? Where do you draw your strength from?
Deddou: People around me inspire me: their movements, the way they express themselves, their gestures, the way they think or even their stories. Music, art, pictures and films also inspire me every day. In my yoga practice, I like to start by closing my eyes, sitting very still and then moving out of this stillness. This is how the most creative yoga lessons and ideas come about. The calmer my surroundings and therefore my thoughts become, the more creative I become. I also draw strength from the peace and quiet of nature.

Sometimes I go to a small chalet near Lucerne all by myself, enjoy a few days in the countryside in complete peace and quiet with good food and sauna sessions.

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Biomazing: What makes you smile, what makes you laugh?
Deddou: I glow when I am in balance and feel good from the inside out.

Biomazing: What are you looking forward to in the summer?
Deddou: I'm really looking forward to teaching yoga on the roof terrace in the open air every evening in the summer. It's an incredible feeling to lead a yoga class at sunset with birds chirping in the background. You can see the transformation on the faces of the participants. It is such an experience and at the end of the lesson many faces are beaming with the last rays of sunshine of the day.

Biomazing: Thank you dear Deddou for this exciting interview. We wish you all the best with Pop Up Yoga and your other ideas and look forward to the next Shavasana with you!