Hannah Brown
Namasté is a widely used greeting and is considered an expression of respect. Above all, however, many associate this word with yoga and meditation. Walking through Gramais, it is quite possible to hear a loving "Namasté" here and there. Hannah Brown lives and celebrates the yoga lifestyle with dedication and enthusiasm in Austria's smallest community. For Hannah, there is almost no better place than Gramais and the Lech Valley to live her "yogi life," as she says. "Here I can have this life - quiet, surrounded by nature and meditative" - she explains with her charming English accent.
Hannah Brown is one of many "Zuagroasten" in the Lechtal and originally comes from the English county of Windsor - a small town on the Thames bordering southwest of London and known primarily for its connection to the royal family. It's where Hannah was born, raised and where the 42-year-old has her roots. Hannah also made a conscious decision to live in the Lech Valley and she saw a lot of the world before moving to Gramais. Countries like Chile, Brazil, Spain and Portugal were her home. Here she has lived, worked and learned the language of each country. Besides being a yoga teacher, she is also a trained foreign language correspondent and translator in her native language English, as well as French, Spanish and Portuguese. Today, the globetrotter lives in seclusion and completely in harmony with nature and everything that surrounds her. When Hannah decided entirely to live in the Lech Valley in 2019, she was looking for herself, for peace and a fresh start. "I had just separated from a man and wanted a calmer, more stable life. I was looking for a natural lifestyle and wanted a fresh start" - she recalls. Through friends, Hannah eventually ended up in the Lech Valley and Gramais. There is no doubt that Hannah, with her warm, loving and above all spiritual nature, brings a fair amount of diversity and "positive vibes" to the small community of 41 souls. She has long since arrived in Gramais and the locals find it really "casual" that Hannah has found her place here.
"I've had many jobs in many places, taught languages, worked in bars and restaurants and even worked in the wine trade as a sales account manager - here in Gramais I've finally arrived. I love the tranquility, the mountains that surround me and I like the small, friendly and above all independent community." - she tells with shining eyes. Here, Hannah feels especially connected to nature and draws her inspiration and energy from it. "Breathing can also give us all energy," she adds, explaining that proper breathing calms and liberates. "I love walking in the woods, meditating, doing yoga and also Kneipp increases my daily energy." In addition to yoga and meditation, Hannah loves singing mantras and she plays the harmonium. These strange and mystical sounds are quite contrary to the sounds one usually hears in a mountain village. But they arouse curiosity and are at the same time motivating, inspiring and even sometimes comforting. Hannah's melodic mantras free you from negative thoughts and inspire you to new deeds. Of course, Hannah also offers various yoga events here in Lechtal. Living Yoga, Yoga for children and teenagers, Yoga for Business and Yoga tailored to your own special needs can be experienced with Hannah(https://de.secretgardenyoga.com).
Hannah is happy here in the Lech Valley and she has found her very own lane. If you ask her about her expectations and wishes for her new home, she is sure that especially sustainability, mindfulness and regionality are important aspects for a healthy life and togetherness in the Lechtal. "I think we should focus on healthy living with local organic products and people who produce them. The Lech Valley is still sustainable, environmentally friendly and characterized by wild nature. We have to preserve that here. On the other hand, the creation of jobs and housing for young people is also an important aspect to be able to ensure a sustainable living perspective in the Lech Valley and the side valleys."
A famous and meaningful mantra is: "LOKAH SAMASTAH SUKHINO BHAVANTU".
"MAY ALL LIVES BE FREE AND HAPPY AND MAY I CONTRIBUTE TO IT WITH MY THOUGHTS, WORDS AND ACTIONS IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE - which means: We are all one and we are all connected. This mantra reminds us that we can contribute to the common good through our words and actions, and illustrates the importance of mindfulness and compassion. Hannah lives this mantra with full dedication, in our opinion, and we are grateful that she has chosen to live a life of mindfulness in our valley.
von Anja Ginther
May 03, 2023