Imagine a stillness. A brief moment in time when you're blissfully isolated from the minor negativities in your life and immersed in a sea of calm that opens your heart, your mind, your soul.
Welcome to the sanctuary of Yoga.
Yoga - Back to Basics
Yoga is essentially a spiritual discipline based on an extremely subtle science, focusing on the harmony between the mind and body. It is both an art and a science within healthy living.
The word "yoga" itself first appeared in writing in the sacred texts of Hinduism -- the Vedas. The word "yoga" itself comes from the root "yuj," which means "to yoke."
There is a wealth of wonderful yoga practices available to us, with a range of philosophies, principles and practices derived from India and the Himalayas more than 2500 years ago. It is this philosophy that draws us; it recognizes the multi-dimensional nature of a person, appealing to the nature and inner workings of the mind, based on a journey of experiential practice and self-discovery.
Think of yoga as a union of the mind, body, soul & spirit - of BREATH and BODY.
Bhakti Yoga - Path of the Heart
The system and various techniques of Yoga cultivate the experience of that union of the body, breath and mind, leading to greater integration of being, internal peacefulness and clarity of the mind. It is a system that is designed to cultivate health and happiness, with a greater sense of empowerment, self-awareness and higher consciousness.
There are four basic paths of yoga - Mind, Body, Emotion & Energy.
It is pure love and devotion. By faithfully and devotedly loving all beings and following the eternal creator, you can reach enlightenment via this path.
Jnana Yoga - Path of the Intellect
It is the way of knowledge and wisdom. Studying ancient scriptures and keenly studying yourself through the practices of self-contemplation and meditation are said to lead you to enlightenment via this path.
Karma Yoga - Path of Work
It is all about selfless service and action. To follow this path, you must devote yourself to your dharma (your ultimate purpose in the world) and unwaveringly fulfill this purpose.
Raja Yoga -- Path of Discipline
Raja yoga is the combination of all 3 aspects of yoga -- physical, mental and spiritual. It is Hatha yoga when we are mostly concerned about physical aspects.
Yoga Practice - Today
We're all looking for ways to balance our busy lifestyles, deal with everyday stresses, feel good and prevent illness.
Yoga is our reconnection with the soul and the inner stillness of the body.
That stillness is our energetic quality. That sense of awareness and conscious presence.
Stillness connects us with our pains, our tensions, our movements and our experiences.
Yoga cultivates health and wellbeing (physical, emotional, mental and social) through the regular practice of a range of many different techniques, including postures and movement, breath awareness and breathing exercises, relaxation and concentration, self-inquiry and meditation.
Yoga is an approach to life that values appropriate effort, based on balance and harmony, within each person and with each other.
VIVAYA takes these principles and practices and delivers them directly to your living room. From beginner yoga workshops to advanced yoga practices, a detailed schedule of live online yoga classes is accessible, connecting wellness seekers with skilled, passionate Teachers from all over the world.
From Asnusara Yoga, to Jivamukti, Vinyasa, Yin Yoga and more -- experience online, state-of-the-art video classes, streamed live every single day. Each interactive virtual yoga class welcomes you to a passionate, friendly community of like-minded individuals to socialize and unwind with.
What to expect?
Yoga classes vary, depending on the particular style of practice that appeals to you. Different styles incorporate different types and levels of physical postures (asana), breathwork (pranayama), chanting and meditation. While certain types of yoga are based on set routines, others are varied, the great thing is that there is no singular one-size-fits-all practice.
There's no right or wrong.
Yoga transcends limitations, offering you as much as you are open to receiving. Yoga meets you wherever you are, or where you need to be, it is always there for you. Yoga practice is always modifiable and adjustable so you can both effectively and safely move through a dynamic practice that meets your needs, desires and abilities. You can extend the practice from your mat and carry the transferable philosophy of yoga through to other parts of your life and self.
Embrace the Ohm.
- Yoga is accessible to everyone
With so many yoga practices available on VIVAYA, you're bound to find a style that suits. And when you attend our online classes, all you need to do is listen & follow the soothing voice of our expert instructors guiding you throughout.
- Pure Relaxation
Think of yoga as that opportunity to relax every single aspect of your physical self. Long days and tough work schedules can make it hard to let go of physical tension, but 30mins of indulgent yoga sequences will help you melt those pressures away.
- Stress Management
Yoga practice can be the most effective stress management instrument in your toolkit. As that release of tension leaves your body, so will the wave of stress that you've been carrying around with you.
- Improve Sleep
Including yoga practice as a regular in your schedule, will help support breathing awareness and regulation. Deep breathing forms the relaxation technique you need to get those valuable Zzzz
- Aid Healing
Deep rest and relaxation can help the body and mind heal and recover from injury and illness. The inverting, twisting and compressing that occurs in yoga postures has been shown to enhance the circulation of blood. Regular yoga practice improves muscle strength, flexibility and range of motion.
- Boost energy levels
Yoga instantly awakens the body and mind, giving you that much needed boost to tackle whatever life throws at you. From your first beginner virtual yoga class, you'll experience an invigorating effect on your mental and physical energy, instantly improving your fitness and reducing fatigue.
"If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete." Buddha
The greatest love story in your life should be the love story you have with yourself. Yoga philosophy teaches us to love ourselves first, in order to open our hearts and cherish the things around us.
One of the foremost principles of yoga centers on acceptance of oneself and connecting to your inner truth. A regular practice can help you become more mindful and aware of yourself. This opens a much deeper level of self-acceptance. This acceptance of you means that you also build an abundance of self-love. You lay the foundations of a path to be able to give to others with an open heart more freely and richly.
Connect to your inner self
Yoga and meditation encourage you to turn your focus inward and to listen to your deeper, more intuitive thoughts. As you gain more insight into your true nature and life longings, your values and your goals become so much clearer. From such a loving, sacred place within yourself, you can make decisions about what you want, and don't want, in life. By living such an authentic life, you are showing nothing but love for yourself.
Learn to love your body
Regardless of where you are in your practice, seeking a beginner class or an advanced yoga workshop, you'll be taught to appreciate your body and its incredible abilities. It's common to want to immediately fall into graceful backbends and powerful handstands, but these things take time. And that's ok. The journey is what matters. The empowerment of yoga envelopes you, ceases that negative self-talk and boosts you forward to keep pushing and seeing what your body can achieve. The more you turn up and tune in, the easier it gets and more you will love your practice. Imagine that enlightenment of seeing your body in a whole new perception and realize that it truly is amazing.
Inner calm
Most yoga practices incorporate meditation in some way. You might also find that as your passion for yoga builds, so does your interest in meditation. Regularly connecting with yourself through meditative practice is another beautiful aid in the path towards self-love. This is by introducing you to your deepest self and encouraging a more mindful way of living. Meditation will help you discover your gifts and your authentic truth and help you find a way to live by these.
Surrender to the bliss of yoga.
Aum.
Namaste.
Wellness is generally associated with the body -- but just as important, is the mind.
If we imagine that yoga is your holistic and mindful practice that includes physical movements, then meditation is your guide through a soothing stillness practice, focused on maintaining attention on a specific meditative object (breath, mantra, etc), with emphasis on returning to positive (versus negative) thoughts.
Meditation doesn't just help with how we think, feel, act and react, but impacts the body as well. It has been shown to improve various ailments, including high blood pressure, pain management, anxiety, depression and sleep. Our mind and body and soul are one. Interconnected and interrelated.
Get ready to embrace the quiet.
Meditation is powerful. There are so many accessible ways to meditate, ranging from simple breathing exercises to more complex meditation practices. It simply comes down to what ultimately feels best to you and inspires you to maintain a regular practice. Most forms of meditation involve some form of breathwork.
Different types of meditation can call for sitting or situating yourself in certain specific ways, as comfortably as possible (and always, always modifiable), to make the most of the practice.
A beautiful meditation can transform you to another time and another place. A simple meditation practice can also help you shed painful emotional burdens and negative thoughts. The more you commit to a regular meditation practice, the more you are likely to feel more centered, confident and grounded in all aspects of your life.
Like yoga, meditation can help melt away the layers of stress and anxiety that we all experience. Engaging in a regular meditation practice can better manage our tension day-to-day and also found to lower blood pressure.
Check out our schedule of guided online meditation classes here
Throughout history and around the globe, wellness seekers have looked to tried-and-true practices like yoga, meditation, reiki and more as channels for transformation and healing. VIVAYA presents these sacred ancient arts through seamless digital technology, connecting wellness seekers to their inspiring teachers, accessible anytime, anywhere.
Disconnect from your day. Connect with us.
VIVAYA offer live stream yoga classes, personalized, one-on-one sessions, and seminars with world-renowned guides, vetted by our collective of experts in the field. Through these offerings, we have built a bridge for anyone on a journey of self-discovery to meet face-to-face with master guides, creating a global collective unbound by time or place.
While the nuances of teaching styles and approaches will vary from teacher to teacher, you will find in all VIVAYA yoga & meditation instructors a commonality in their depth of knowledge, compassion and patience, and intuitive dedication to working with you.
Creating a dedicated yoga space is crucial to establishing a successful home practice. Creating a yoga space doesn't have to be a big project. Get started preparing your personal yoga haven at home. Check out our tips for setting up your home sanctuary and personalizing your peace of mind.
We all strive to be calmer and more at ease in our decisions in life.
To be on such a path, living our truth, we guarantee nothing but love for ourselves.
Try 14 days of FREE, unlimited online yoga & wellness classes here
Experience your new virtual online oasis.