The interview with Elena Kochubey. Inspiring personal experience in Zvezda Gymnastics for women over 40.Anna: Elena, how long have you been doing Zvezda Gymnastics? How did you start?
Elena: It happened by chance. Someone invited my friend to a meeting by Internet and we came together. It was about 6 years ago. I was interested to learn a new type of physical exercises. That happened to be a seminar of Maria Guseva.
A: Were you interested because you did some body practices before?
Elena: I did a lot of different practices from rhythmic gymnastics, when I was young, to dancing, plastique, pantomime, different types of fitness when it first appeared in 2000…
A: Having such extensive experience, what caught you in Zvezda Gymnastics? How did you benefit from these 27 exercises?
Elena: I was astonished by these unusual and beautiful movements and by the fact that this practice is only for women. After the first seminar I started practicing these exercises and then attended all Maria’s seminars. I needed correction and in every seminar I discovered something new. No wonder that it happens. Doing this practice alone, you start developing. All your being is restructuring. At a new seminar you get new experience, your development continues. You start gradually understanding these movements even if in the beginning you did them almost perfectly.
A: You’ve attended all Maria’s seminars in Saint Petersburg. Do you think that your independent practice at home is not enough?
Elena: I think you have to use the opportunity and attend seminars because the body is changing. You get new feelings and experience. You feel the exercises in a different way. It might suddenly strike you: Oh, that’s the right way to do it! And you couldn’t understand it before. You didn’t have the necessary muscles and thoughts…
A: Let’s continue about your experience and results in Zvezda Gymnastics
Elena: At that time there wasn’t so much information on this practice as we have now. But there was something very important – personal experience and personal communication with Maria Guseva at her seminars. I didn’t compare my results with the results of other women practicing Zvezda. And I got some results immediately. I tried to follow the general recommendation: 7 exercises 3-4 times a week. The first thing I noticed was perfect digestion (though I usually say that women don’t have a stomach, a liver etc. They have only beauty and immortal soul). My posture improved. I didn’t get tired. Generally, I was in a positive and calm mood. I acquired the wonderful ability to separate emotions from mind and logic, so, my decision making got more conscious.
Doing these exercises is a real joy. They are very pleasant. This state of concentration and absence of thoughts (only in this condition you can stay balanced) refresh you perfectly. I’m the head of OneTwoThree Theater in Saint Petersburg. I’ve got a recent example. I was overloaded: long daily rehearsals, performances in the morning at 8 or 9 am. The main thing was to wake up with the first thought about Zvezda Gymnastics, then to get up and do these magical exercises. Then I’m fresh, happy, energetic and creative all day long.
Probably, I have to speak about my respectable age and Zvezda practice…. I firmly believe that the older a person is, the happier and freer he/she becomes, women especially. And you have to be healthy to enjoy this happiness and freedom fully. Zvezda Gymnastics is a way to health. I never get a cold. That’s what my friends noticed, not me. Epidemics don’t affect me. Speaking about the eye sight, I read, do cross-stitching without glasses though there was a period when my sight worsened. They say it’s strange. In our clinic there were general health checks. I visited a gynaecologist and an endocrinologist only to make sure that everything is Ok and there are no problems in my female health. Nothing at all! Thinking about these exercises I’m sure that they are good for women of any age. When I do the basic lower position, I feel everything gets in its right place inside of me.
A: Yes, speaking about women over 40-50. By this age there are usually some problems with health. Some women are afraid of doing Zvezda Gymnastics only because it takes all the hidden problems out to the surface and intensifies chronical diseases (we know that recovery usually comes after worsening). What would you say basing on your experience? What could you recommend to such women?
Elena: It’s a difficult question because I didn’t have any aggravation. Though when I started, I had bad headaches and dizziness. The doctors said those were some problems with blood vessels. I’ve never had that again since that time. My recommendation would be to start Zvezda Practice!!!! The earlier, the better. As soon as you learn about this practice, start doing it. Start slowly and gradually as it is repeated constantly in all the guidelines. If these exercises reveal some problems in your health or life (since it is a psychophysical practice!), that is great! You can understand what goes wrong, treat what has to be treated, solve difficult questions that have been existing for years and couldn’t be solved before. So, a big advantage of this practice is its diagnostic function. These exercises are magic if you do them. And it’s a joy to do them. There are no limits as to age. There is no overload to the heart or joints. Zvezda practice doesn’t take a lot of time. You can do it in accordance with your physical condition and the body start changing. It is very effective!
A: Elena, as far as I know, apart from doing Zvezda Gymnastics for a long time you also promote it. Do you have any observations about the women from your circle of acquaintances? Your outside point of view, so to say.
Elena: The looks start changing in an imperceptible but very definite way. They wrote a lot about it but I want to underline this once again that all the changes are only for the better. The body, posture, movements get beautiful regardless the body built. Every pose is esthetic. There appears some dignity, some true pride – I am a woman…
I’ve got an example. A girl wanted to get married but she couldn’t…. Three months of Zvezda practicing and… she was surrounded by admirers. She got married, gave birth to a daughter and continues doing Zvezda Gymnastics.
A: Were there any changes in your Zvezda practicing? You started doing it in accordance with the general recommendations. What was next? More or less often? More or fewer exercises? How often do you do it now?
Elena: I did it this way for several years. Now I don’t stick to 3-4 times a week. When I feel tired, I do Zvezda and continue for some time. If there is some difficult problem and I don’t have enough energy and I have to accumulate it, I do Zvezda exercises.
If I travel, go on tours or somewhere else, I always do it because it gives energy and reason. In Cyprus I did it in the place where Aphrodite was born. I like doing it in the countryside in the morning while there is still dew on the ground.
I’ve changed a lot since I started Zvezda practice, mostly thanks to the Gymnastics and Maria Guseva. My life is more interesting. There is no fussing. I’ve learnt and done lots of new things…
A: Thank you! I’m really inspired. I truly feel that you enjoy your life.