Hi, I'm Ovidiu Ponoran, the founder of Stillness Does. My passion? Changing lives!
With over fifteen years of experience in leadership roles, I've been deeply committed to expanding my ability to create valuable outcomes with ease and fluidity, both individually and collaboratively with others.
Throughout my journey, three principles have guided me:
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Leave everything better than you found it.
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Do your best right now! Focus on excellence in the present, the future will take care of itself.
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Excellence is never achieved in isolation, teachers and mentors are essential for real growth and transformation.
Now, as a teacher and coach, my passion is to change lives, not just to make small improvements. I guide people in cultivating vibrant inner stillness, nurturing both vitality and inner peace. This combination, along with wholehearted commitment, serves as the foundation from which individuals can draw strength to create harmonious and fulfilling lives for themselves and others.
My Background
Yoga
Since 2010, I have been dedicated to the practice of Yoga, with a primary focus on Shadow Yoga (founded by Sundernāth, an initiate of the Mrigasthali Gorakhnath temple) and Rishiculture Ashtanga Yoga, now widely known as Gitananda Yoga after Swami Gitananda Giri. I am a professional member of Indian Yoga Association and a Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance. A Yoga Sadhaka in Gitananda Yoga tradition and a certified 500 hours Gitananda Yoga Pranayama teacher, I study under the direct supervision of Kalaimamani Yogacharya Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani. I frequently visit Ananda Ashram in India to deepen my Yoga practice, immersing myself in the study of Pranayama (breath-energy control), Nada Yoga (the yoga of sound and vibration), Chakra Sadhana, Jnana and Raja Yoga Prakriyas (visualization, relaxation, polarity techniques), Yoga Chikitsa (yoga as therapy), Yogic Diet, and more.
Meipadam & Karalakattai
Since 2021, I have immersed myself in the arts of Meipadam and Karalakattai, initially at Jothi Silambam Kshakthiriya Gurukulam. In April 2023, I began studying under the guidance of Aasan Dharmaraj at God’s Warrior, a Traditional School of Yoga and Martial Arts in Madambakkam, Chennai. It has been a privilege to learn from a teacher who has welcomed me warmly into both his home and his family.
Coaching
Certified by Integral Coaching Canada, I have furthered my coaching expertise with additional training in 'The Art of Developmental Coaching' and 'Coaching from Source' with Coaches Rising (Netherlands), as well as 'The Embodied Facilitator' with Integration Training (UK). Drawing from my fifteen years of leadership experience in the Software Industry, along with the invaluable guidance I've received from remarkable mentors over the years, I now empower highly committed individuals to achieve their highest aspirations.
Leadership
I held roles as a project manager and product manager in the competitive Software Industry, including at UiPath, the first Romanian unicorn. UiPath received consistent recognition as a leader in Robotic Process Automation and in 2023 was positioned highest for Ability to Execute.
Our Approach
Our teachings and practices are centered around cultivating vibrant inner stillness and wholehearted commitment. This journey leads to freedom, a simple harmonious existence, and effortless high performance, empowering the practitioners to become powerful creators capable of realizing their highest aspirations.
We prioritize simplicity, straightforwardness, and embodying the teachings through consistent practice. Instead of merely collecting techniques and jumping from one to another, we encourage practitioners to approach each technique with genuine interest and dedication, fostering mastery rather than mere accumulation. Progress should not be forced, it needs to unfold naturally, facilitating growth across all levels.
The secret is... In our experience, true progress in any pursuit requires wholehearted commitment and unwavering, disciplined effort. This holds true for Yoga and Meipadam as well. The 'why' and 'how' of our practice are everything. When we truly love what we do and maintain deep interest, the techniques gradually unveil their secrets, advancing our journey of conscious evolution. Our minds expand, our intelligence sharpens, and new insights unfold, enriching our path.
Let's illustrate this point with an example. Even something as simple as observing our breath can yield profound insights when approached with genuine interest. So, find a comfortable sitting posture and try the following:
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Inhale through both nostrils, making noise only in your nostrils. Exhale slowly through your nose. Repeat three times.
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Inhale slowly through both nostrils, making noise only in your throat. Exhale slowly through your nose. Repeat three times.
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Finally, inhale slowly through both nostrils without making any noise at all, neither in the nostrils nor in the throat. Exhale slowly through your nose. Repeat three times. Sit quietly for a while and enjoy the inner stillness and silence.
What differences do you notice between these three types of inhalation? How do they affect your mind, body, and energy? How can you use these insights in your practice?
A Life Worth Living
by Ovidiu Ponoran, 21/01/2023
At this very moment,
you are.
At this very moment,
a whisper,
an inspiration to create, touches you.
What life wants to create through you?
Who do you need to become to bring it into existence?
At this very moment,
What Love wants to give through you?
How much Love do you allow to flow through you,
into the hearts of others?
Now, stand up!
Bring forth the treasure within you,
source your doing from being,
the best you.
Evolve, live, and give.
A life worth living,
is fully giving
the best of you. Now!