A mind full of yoga.

Staying connected to the yogic grapevine. Mostly from Holland, always with joy. In the neighborhood? Drop by for a yoga class and a cuppa tea at Svaha Yoga Amsterdam.

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I AM Yoga Therapy Training @Svaha Yoga

with Kamini Desai, PhD, IAYT Accredited Yoga Therapist

Former Director of Amrit Yoga Institute’s IAYT Accredited 800hr Yoga Therapy Program

For movement teachers and body-mind practitioners: Learn specific techniques of yoga therapy for deep psychosomatic release.

“Innovative and profound.”

“Bridges the gap between Yoga and Psychology.”

“Science of Yoga and Energy.”

“Immediately relevant, useful and applicable.”

This profound and innovative course takes Yoga Therapy to a deeper level. Learn specific and immediately useful tools to release trapped psychosomatic patterns and free the body’s innate healing potential. Presented in an applicable and relatable way, teachings on esoteric understanding of energy are combined with practical tools and practices. Body-based facilitation & coaching techniques can be applied with or without yoga poses in one-on-one private sessions or applied to any style of yoga, life coaching, therapy or bodywork that you offer.

For sign up email to: [email protected]

Yoga Therapy I In-Person: April 16-19, 2026

9am-5.30pm, ending Sunday by 3pm (1 hour lunchbreak)

Besides powerful facilitation techniques, you will learn how to guide poses at the wall and with props to release and reprogram unhelpful physical, mental and emotional patterns. Yoga Therapy I can stand on its own or you may use your hours to go on to Yoga Therapy II where you will learn hands-on techniques of Yoga Therapy. This course is taught by Kamini Desai and assisted by a senior teacher.

Yoga Therapy II In-Person: May 6-10, 2026

8.30am-5.30pm daily ending Sunday by 1.30pm (1 hour lunchbreak)

Learn how to physically support and assist your client -- removing effort and maximizing opening in various yoga poses. Support yourself and others to increase range of motion, reduce pain and inflammation, heal burnout and improve mental and physical wellbeing not only from the outside in, but from the inside out! While Yoga Therapy I is available to everyone, Yoga Therapy II is only recommended for those with a moderate level of health and strength.  Completion of Yoga Therapy I is a requirement for participation in Yoga Therapy II.

Yoga Therapy I:

You will learn:

•    Yogic theory of energy & healing

•    How to conduct a body scan & assess the results

Lead an individual session or group yoga therapy class that addresses common holding zones in the body

•    Step by step instructions to guide unique yoga therapy coaching techniques

•    Address spiritual bypassing and other pitfalls with our unique integration model

•    Use chakras as a map to identify gaps in personal maturation and self-actualization

•    Healthfully integrate and release emotions for yourself and others

•    Ideal for online sessions & hands-on limitations

Yoga Therapy II:

I AM Yoga Therapy II is a continuation of I AM Yoga Therapy I.

·         You will learn: Advanced hands-on assisted posture techniques

·         Four sequences to address the most common holding zones in the body

·         Facilitation techniques to enhance the effect of physical poses & support emotional integration

·         Elements from contact yoga, yogassage, phoenix rising yoga therapy, thai yoga therapy and traditional yoga styles to promote total body opening

·         Ideas for chair Yoga Therapy

·         Basic principles and precautions of Yoga Therapy for scoliosis and other common conditions

·         How to put together a full 6 limbed yoga therapy session

Who is this for?

In addition to promoting your personal development, this training is excellent for yoga teachers, psychologists, counselors, health and healing professionals, and bodyworkers in search of new tools to serve their clients. Yoga Therapists are increasingly working in pain clinics, and in conjunction with doctors, chiropractors, physiotherapists, physical therapists, senior treatments centers and rehabilitation clinics.

What does it include?

Both Yoga Therapy I and II include a detailed digital manual and reference videos.

How Can I Use My Hours?

You may use Yoga Therapy I hours to continue on to Yoga Therapy II to become a 100hr Yoga Therapy practitioner upon completion of homework and 8 documented sessions.

Completion of Yoga Therapy I and II allows you to become a member of IAYT (The International Association of Yoga Therapists).

If you are already a member of IAYT (International Association of Yoga Therapists), this course may used towards continuing education hours

Hours count towards Amrit Yoga Institute’s 800 hour yoga therapy program

Homework:

For those going on to Yoga Therapy II you will need to complete the following homework:

•          practice 3 yoga therapy classes

How to sign up?

E-mail to: [email protected]

What is the price?

Yoga Therapy I: 699EUR

Yoga Therapy II: 799EUR

When you sign up for both the total price will be 1398EUR (-100EUR reduction)

Recommended Reading and Reference:

Suggested preparatory reading:

Eugene Gendlin Focusing

Recommended for future reference:

Ken Dychtwald Body Mind

Short Biography of the Teacher

Learn more about Kamini Desai, Ph.D at

Kamini Desai, is the author of: Yoga Nidra The Art of Transformational Sleep, Life Lessons Love Lessons and developer of the I AM Yoga Nidra app. For the past 30 years Kamini has created a unique body of teachings combining ancient Yogic wisdom with science and psychology. Considered an expert in the science of Yoga Therapy, Yoga Nidra and artful living, her practical and accessible teaching style has been welcomed worldwide. Kamini’s corporate clients have included Bahamas Princess Resorts, Kellogg’s, KEDS, SONY, and Mars Confectionary among others. Kamini Desai PhD is the daughter of one of the original yoga masters to pioneer yoga practice in the west in the 1960s. In 2013 she was awarded the title “Yogeshwari” in recognition for her keen ability to bring ancient illumination to the genuine challenges of the human experience. For more information visit https://www.kaminidesai.com/

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We have two kinds of memberships available.

Online only membership that includes classes being streamed life from Jordaan studio and also the morning Zoom sessions are included.

Or the full “Unlimited” membership that allows you to take any Svaha yoga class in all three locations, and also include all the classes being streamed life from Jordaan studio as well as the morning Zoom sessions

And don't forget both memberships also give you access to the library of streamed classes and Zoom sessions

For more information, please send an email to: [email protected]

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Careful, this week morning classes are taught at DownTown Shala.

Please check the schedule to make sure you are at the correct location.

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Embodying the Radiant Abundance

of Lakshmi A Tantric Himalayan Kriya Yoga Workshop

Step into the luminous grace of Lakshmi, the goddess of abundance, beauty, harmony, and inner fulfillment.

This workshop is an invitation to embody her qualities through a nourishing and heart-opening blend of Kriya, Pranayama, Meditation, and Asana.

This is more than a practice— it is a remembering, a softening into worthiness, and reclamation of your capacity to receive, to feel nourished, and to live in alignment with both inner and outer abundance.

Come as you are. Leave replenished.

Saturday May 2 @Downtown 15:00 - 17:00

30€ for Svaha members and 35€ for non-members

Sign up: [email protected]

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Advanced Yoga Nidra intro with Kamini Desai.

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Lucienne Vidah started the study of Iyengar Yoga in her native Amsterdam with Clé Souren. Inspired by Faeq Biria she completed the Teacher Training program with James Murphy and Mary Dunn in NYC. She obtained a Level III senior teacher certificate in 2018 and studied at RIMYI eight times.

Lucienne came to yoga as a dancer but also worked in Amsterdam hospitals as a nurse and in pelvic floor rehab therapy in NYC. She is certified in Hellerwork. Since 1999 Studio Spine has been her dream work. After running three consecutive studios in NYC, she now operates online and teaches at various locations. She recently became a resident of Edinburgh, Scotland and currently lives with her husband between there and NYC. She loves walking, dancing and the arts.

Lucienne's teaching seeks to make the student feel and experience their embodiment by detailed focus on specific areas. To be present in the moment one needs to be 'very alive'. Being acutely aware of the process of the body and the mind describes yoga practice to Lucienne. To beginners she says, "Find the joy and the beauty of asana, practice without asking questions for a while, the rest comes later."

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Yoga Nidra Advanced Training with Kamini Desai

Thursday March 12 - Sunday March 15

Yoga Nidra III: Advanced Training is a quantum leap into the hidden teachings of the Upanishads, the Yoga Sutras, the origins of Yoga Nidra, as well as rare teachings from our lineage-- all of which will allow you to cultivate an even more profound grasp of the influence, scope, and applications of this practice. You will enhance your knowledge of the Koshas, their functions, and how they can be nourished and strengthened through the practice of Yoga Nidra. Through scriptural study, you will gain a deeper appreciation of the immensity of Yoga Nidra and the place it holds in the 8-limbed Path of Yoga. Receive little-known secrets to provide further clarity on experiences had during Yoga Nidra. Acquire a more thorough comprehension of the Higher and Lower Mind, how the Ego is created, the role it plays in your spiritual journey, the Chitta, and how to unlock the unique power of the Wisdom body to shape and create your life. 

Solutions for grief, trauma and transition:

You will learn the basics of Yoga Nidra as it is applied in Yoga Therapy, using protocols to aid those seeking emotional integration; as well as solutions for grief, trauma, and other forms of energetic blockages. We will take an in-depth look at visualizations and image techniques, understanding how they relate to the Mental and Wisdom Bodies, when to incorporate them, and how to deliver them so they do not activate the Thinking Mind. In addition to a manual, you will receive a set of Advanced Yoga Nidra cards including new techniques and variations. 

• In-depth study of ancient texts 

• Expand your knowledge of Yoga Nidra and its secrets

• New Yoga Nidra techniques to share

• Guided Yoga Nidra experiences 

• Recognize and address the various stages of emotional integration with Yoga Nidra

• Help others connect to intuition and higher knowing in times of confusion and crisis

Practical information:

Full course: €699 including the digital course manual and one set of Advanced Yoga Nidra cards in English or Dutch. You can order a printed copy of the manual at a cost of ​€45. An extra set of Advanced Yoga Nidra cards at €50.

Times: 9:30-13h & 14.15-17.30h daily, Sunday until 13h 

Sign up: [email protected]

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Moksie

Born: Xmas 2009 on the beautiful Mispellaan in Paramaribo, Suriname, South America.

Maha Samadhi : January 27, 2025 Egmond aan Zee

We had bought a house and some land on the  Mispellaan in November 2009 ,left for Amsterdam, and came back again end of January 2010 to start working on our yoga shala. This is when we met.

Her mother Bruintje brought the three pups from down the street getting some food at the neighbours, and her father….well….who knows…! They all three still had blue eyes, just a few weeks old, when we first saw them. Soon we only saw two pups, and we found Moksi eventually under the bushes in our garden more dead than alive.  Poisoned. As people do this to street dogs often in Suriname. We took her to the vet, but he didn’t think anything would still help. She was truly in bad shape. We insisted he’d try something. That first night at our home she peed blood. But a few days later, at ShivaRatri, after we had been chanting in the evening, she got up and barked her first modest barks. There was no more turning back. We had found each other, and we were going on adventure together. Her papers to leave the country were signed by……Dr. Sri Ram ! Arriving in Amsterdam she was adopted by our three cats. Especially Do took it upon her to be her surrogate mother, always washing her and sleeping with her.

That first year she came along with us doing a teacher training in Antwerpen, spending many weekends travelling there. Going back and forth to Suriname in the next years, Moksi flew 11 times back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean, visiting her family for long delicious playful vacations. In Amsterdam she was there when we created the Noord and DownTown yoga shalas, always patient when we were busy. She came to class with Patrick on the bike for many years, being completely comfortable in busy classes and during ecstatic kirtan, and became known as the “Princess of Svaha Yoga” . She was starring in Yoga Magazine and on tv. Sharon Gannon from Jivamukti Yoga called her a Holy Being.

She was there through all the ups and downs….being a support always. When she was only 7 ,she got injured severely getting attacked by dogs….resulting in a spinal injury which again led to nervous disorders. She fell over 4 times a day, and had epileptic seizures. Again she was given up by a doctor, but through natural therapy and acupuncture with golden mini bits she was able to recover over a long period of time. And of course, tons of love. Moksi would sleep on the bed, and it would be me on the floor. Due to the Corona pandemic, we sold the property in Suriname and moved to the seashore in Holland. No more travelling. The last 5 years we spend in heaven, having long walks in the dunes and evening walks on the beach. We are grateful for a life filled with sweet memories together. She brought a pure love into our lives that is unequalled by anything or anyone. She is the most gentle, loving, patient, and beautiful being one could ever meet.

Waka Boeng mi gudu mi lekker.

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Chakra Journey: Immersion into Seasonal Yoga Practice

Transform old patterns. Find inner confidence and lightness. Experience holistic growth as you discover the themes and yogic practices of each season and chakra.

Who is this Journey for? 

It’s for those who are curious about how yoga philosophy, chakra teachings, and the energy of the seasons can enrich your daily life. If you’ve been practicing yoga for a while and are ready to deepen your self-discovery journey, this workshop series is perfect for you. It offers thematic answers to life’s big questions, practical tools, and helps you live consciously and joyfully. Discover how to move gracefully and in harmony with life’s natural rhythms.

What to Expect? 

The Chakra Journey is a workshop-series of 4 seasonal sessions. Each session focuses on the corresponding themes of that season and will combine two complimentary chakras in a unique way to support your journey of self-discovery and holistic growth. It's a fusion of study, inquiry, asana, pranayama and meditation, custom-made and based on Karolien's personal journey and discoveries.

In a nutshell

Winter: The Foundation of Rest and Inspiration

Root deeply and open up to new sources of inspiration. Find rest, stability, and nourishing comfort in the stillness and darkness of winter. More being, less doing.

Spring: The Innocent Flow of Creativity

Awaken your desires and creative energy, and be intuitively guided. Open up to the magic of everyday and amaze yourself about life’s synchronicities. More play, less focus.

Summer: The Calling for Self-expression

Ignite your inner fire, step into your greatness, and speak your truth. Take meaningful steps towards your dreams and values. More playing big, less listening to fears.

Autumn: Coming Home in the Heart

Conclude the cycle and receive the fruits of your journey with gratitude. Embrace life’s natural flow with faith and learn to let go off what is old. More abundance, less resistance.

Interesting to know

In each workshop we will dedicate time to absorb new information about the theme’s of each season and how the chakra’s relate to that. Then there is time to reflect on this through inquiry, journaling and/or sharing so it becomes alive in your personal life-situation of that moment. And then we will bring all of this to the mat and explore a yoga practice of about 75-90 minutes that combines asana, pranayama and meditation catering towards the arising challenges when embracing the calling of each season. You’ll leave nourished, inspired and motivated.

A recording of the yoga class – filmed upfront, so it doesn’t interrupt the intimacy and flow of our workshop – will become available to you after the workshop so you can come back to the yoga practice as often as you feel need for it throughout the season until we meet again. 

To support you further, you’ll get an extensive handout with valuable information, journaling prompts, and practical exercises to support implementation and integration in your daily life.

The workshops can be booked as a complete journey or individually, if one theme calls you more than others. 

Why This Journey Will Enrich You:

Depth and Insights: Understand how chakras work and learn ways to integrate their wisdom into your daily life.

Practical Tools: Gain techniques and lifestyle tips that you can apply right away to enhance your well-being.

Balance and Flow: Align your daily life and inner energy with the natural rhythms of the seasons.

Inner Growth: Break free from old patterns and move towards a life filled with confidence, lightness, and joy.

Community: Connect with like-minded individuals and draw inspiration from shared experiences.

About Karolien 

I’m Karolien, a yoga teacher and consciousness coach. For over ten years, I’ve been guiding individuals on their path of self-discovery and transformation. My mission is to help curious and mindful people like you break through patterns, strengthen self-love, and live joyfully. My approach combines compassion, clarity, and practical applications. Whether you’re feeling stuck or simply curious about deeper insights, I’m here to support you in rediscovering your radiant, joyful self.

Practical Information

Dates & Time

Workshop 1: Winter – The Foundation of Rest and Inspiration Sunday, 12 January 2025 | 11:00-14:00 

Workshop 2: Spring – The Innocent Flow of Creativity Friday, 4 April 2025 | 16:30-19:30

Workshop 3: Summer – The Calling for Self-expression Sunday, 6 July 2025 | 11:00-14:00

Workshop 4: Autum – Coming Home in the Heart Sunday, 12 October 2025 | 11:00-14:00

Location Svaha Yoga Downtown Shala Begijnensteeg 1 Amsterdam

Investment 

Seasonal Workshop: EUR 95,- (including VAT) Includes:

Custom-made, uniquely designed seasonal 3-hour live workshop

Handout with information, journaling prompts, and exercises to support implementation and integration in your everyday life

Recorded yoga class to repeat at home on demand. For your interest: the recording is done upfront, so it won’t interrupt the intimacy and flow of the workshop!

The Complete Chakra Journey: EUR 324,- (including VAT, paid upfront at once) Includes:

All 4 Seasonal Workshops as mentioned 

Extra gift no. 1: one individual coaching session with Karolien via ZOOM to be planned on demand (total value of 95,-)

Extra gift no. 2: Beautiful hand-drawn Chakra-Altar Cards (total value of 24,50)

Embark on Your Chakra Journey. Connect more deeply with yourself and the world around you. Discover how to live joyfully, in balance, and with confidence through life’s natural rhythms.

➡️ Buy your ticket here

*** The workshop will be taught in English to include non-Dutch participants. However, if expressing yourself in English during inquiry or sharing’s is difficult, you’re welcome to do that in Dutch of course. ***

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Online philosophy & Yoga Nidra sessions with Kamini Desai

Online introduction to Yoga Nidra & Kamini Desai

Are you considering joining the Yoga Nidra Immersion and/or Certification in May at Svaha Yoga? This online course is a wonderful way to meet Kamini and be introduced to I AM Yoga Nidra. Also for those who would like to re-connect with Kamini and her teachings and enjoy a Yoga Nidra session from the comfort of home, are very welcome to join these online sessions.

Part 1: Rejuvenating sleep

5 Feb 2025 | 19:45 - 21:00

Deep restorative rest is one of nature’s great gifts to us. It is one of the simplest ways we can give out body great health benefits. Yet stress, pain, worry and even ageing can affect the quality of our sleep.

Learn why sleep is so important for both our mental and physical health and how Yoga Nidra can improve the quality of your sleep, make up for sleep loss and to help you get to sleep.

Part 2: Power of thoughts

12 Feb 2025 | 19:45 - 21:00

Do you know that your bod is responding to everything you say? Learn how to get the power of thought working for you rather than against you using the power of intention.

Understand why intention and affirmations used only in the waking state may not be working for you.

Part 3: Resilience and Immunity

12 March 2025 | 19:45 - 21:00

Empower yourself to create calm in the chaos. Learn how to build your vagal tone. As stress grows, so do the symptoms of anxiety.

Includes experiential components.

Join all 3 online sessions: €50

Join 1 or 2 online sessions: €20 each

Via Zoom

Info & sign up: [email protected]

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Yoga Nidra Immersion & Certification with Kamini Desai

May 8-11 Immersion:Part I

May 15-18 Certification: Part II

Yoga Nidra: Sleep Meditation 

Dive into the  profound philosophy of Yoga

Learn the real depth of Yoga Nidra as a psychological and spiritual practice

This Immersion provides a unique and transformative map to life mastery where we lay out the ancient philosophy of Yoga and Yoga Nidra including the Kleshas, Koshas, Turiya, Karma, Samskaras and the science behind the brainwaves.  You will understand what karma is and how Yoga Nidra can be used not only for relaxation and restoration, but to resolve deep seated impressions that are shaping how we live. This course is led by Kamini Desai, PhD – a dear friend of Svaha and author of Yoga Nidra: The Art of Transformational Sleep. Kamini  is considered an expert on Yoga Nidra

You will receive: 

Yoga Nidra Manual

In-depth Yogic Philosophy

Twice daily Yoga Nidra sessions

Authentic teachings of Yoga Nidra descended from a lineage of masters.

Self-healing, self-reflection and self-rejuvenation

Re-write and re-create your life from the deepest states of meditative relaxation.

I AM Yoga Nidra is considered one of the 5 major schools of Yoga Nidra, offering in-depth, high quality immersion trainings since 2002.

Yoga Nidra Certification: 

The Art of Sleep Meditation that Awakens Your True Nature

This continuing course of study deepens and enhances your understanding drawing on the scientific basis and modern applications of this healing practice. We will explore research verifying the benefits and measurable changes occurring in the brain during Yoga Nidra.  Yoga Nidra is not just something you lead others in – it is something you transmit. This can only be gained through personal practice and self-reflection, which is a cornerstone of our training. We believe this Yoga Nidra training is the most in-depth, scientific, and authentic certification available.

Combining science with the ancient wisdom of yoga, you will be able to develop Yoga Nidra protocols to address such conditions as:

Stress

Habits and Addictions

Trauma and PTSD

Depression and Anxiety

Insomnia

This course of study not only provides you with the skills to guide others in yoga nidra, but is also the ideal tool for your own transformation. You will receive your own unique yoga nidra card deck system which will allow you to easily customize Yoga Nidra experiences.

Yoga Nidra is Mindfulness made easy. This training is excellent for psychologists, mindfulness practitioners, bodyworkers, yoga teachers, healthcare workers, helping professionals, hypnotherapists and energy healers in search o new tools to serve their clients.

Yoga Nidra II: Certification is a continuation of the Yoga Nidra I: Immersion. Both courses must be completed to receive certification.

Includes: 

Daily Yoga Nidra sessions

66 Hours of CE with Yoga Alliance (both courses included)/ 45 Advanced Professional Development hours with IAYT (Intl. Assoc. of Yoga Therapists)

Comprehensive manual includes slides and research covered in the training

Unique Yoga Nidra Card deck system allows you to easily customize Yoga Nidra experiences such as chakra meditations, healing meditations, body scan meditations, meditations for anxiety, and more.

Scientifically validated benefits of regular Yoga Nidra practice

Workshops to develop your Presence and personal guidance to powerfully facilitate Yoga Nidra.

Healing benefits, applications and contraindications of the various techniques of Yoga Nidra.

Marketing strategies and how to articulate to various audiences

How to lead private sessions

Deepen your practice and transform your life while learning to help others!

Benefits: 

Distinguish yourself as a Yoga Nidra Certified Facilitator from one of the premier teachers of Yoga Nidra

Walk away with personalized techniques you can begin using right away

Responsibly guide students into Yoga Nidra with a thorough understanding of the practice, and how to address commonly shared experiences

Intelligently speak about Yoga Nidra as it applies to various populations and conditions

Lead powerful Yoga Nidra sessions with Presence

Receive extensive materials and scientifically validated references

Gain a new appreciation and personal understanding of this ancient practice.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity. Register today!

Testimonials

“Every module is a master class for life.” 

– Annie Reed

“The most profound course I have ever taken in over 20 years of yogic studies.” 

– Jesse Applegarth

“This course gave me the greatest gift I could have ever asked for. A return to restful sleep.” 

–Tamara Metelka

“I searched for the best Yoga Nidra training on the market and found this one; but even still, it exceeded my expectations.”

~  Georgiann

“This is the best training I have taken anywhere, ever.”~  G. Tonsobin

“With Yoga Nidra, I have found a way to make a true difference in the lives of others.”

~  P. van de Waele

Price:

599 Euros:  Immersion only or Certification Only (only if you have already done the immersion elsewhere).

1100 Euros to take both immersion and certification

Immersion: Includes immersion manual in digital format for digital download

Certification: Includes certification manual in digital format for digital download and 1 set of printed Yoga Nidra cards.

Location: tbc

Time: each day 9.30 - 1pm and 2.15 - 5.30pm. Sunday we finish at 1pm.

To sign up, sent an email to: [email protected]

Kamini Desai, Ph.D

Author, Yoga Nidra: The Art of Transformational Sleep

Kamini Desai, PhD is the author of Yoga Nidra: The Art of Transformational Sleep, developer of the I AM Yoga Nidra App and is considered a leading authority in the field Yoga Nidra. As the co-developer of I AM Yoga Nidra with her father Yogi Amrit Desai, she uniquely combines the ancient wisdom of yoga with western psychology and evidence-based research. Kamini has been teaching worldwide for over 35 years. In 2012 she was awarded the title Yogeshwari (woman of yogic mastery) for her keen ability to bring ancient illumination to the genuine challenges of the human experience. Her teachings have benefited employees at Sony, Kelloggs, KPN Telecom, Mars Confectionery, the Department of Corrections and Departments of the Netherlands Government. Learn more about Kamini Desai, Ph.D

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Video bath: deep dive into multiple bodies

with Viktoria

How deep is your (self)love?

This Video Bath offers a deep dive into the multiple bodies to reconnect with the Inner Child, The Observer, and the true inner Self. Inspired by the Sound Bath concept, Viktoria invents the Video Bath® that engages all senses through mindfully curated visuals, soundscapes, 432Hz vibration, live guidance, her gentle touch (endorphins massage), elements of breath work, humming, and shaking. It's a unique approach to art, human biology, meditation, Slavic ancient knowledge, and modern science. Video Bath is an invitation to experience your being in its multidimensionality, to practice deep relaxation and high vibrational energy-flow, to transform negative thoughts into positive, and soften hard feelings & emotions.  2-4.30pm Downtown Shala  32EUR

More info or to sign up: [email protected]

Video Bath is an invitation to experience your being in its multidimensionality, to practice deep relaxation and high vibrational energy-flow, to transform negative thoughts into positive, and soften hard feelings & emotions. More about: www.theartforhealing.com/video-baths 

Viktoria Kova is a researcher, multimedia artist, and practitioner of healing art, known for her natural healing from autoimmune disease (MS), and creation of audiovisual canvases that help to improve health and overal well-being. More about: www.theartforhealing.com/about

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Twenty-five Years of Circles and Dots

Anniversaries are an occasion to reflect on time. 25 years of Svaha Yoga! How can we envision that time? 

One way is as a timeline: twenty-five years marching forward from a starting point into the future. Another way is to envision twenty-five years as the turning of innumerable cycles. Twenty-five orbits of the earth around the sun, twenty-five cycles of seasonal change. One quarter turn of the cycle of a century, and just a tiny portion of much larger cosmic cycles. Countless cycles of classes from Om to Om, and within each of those cycles, multiples more: each surya namaskara, each breath. Not a straight line from here to there, but countless circles. 

Envisioning twenty-five years of Svaha Yoga as a series of cycles is a way of experimenting with temporality – with our relationship to time. This experimentation with time happens frequently in Svaha Yoga classes. In practice we learn a lot about time as a cycle. From the vinyasa krama of cycles that define the physical practice, to the cycles of exhale inhale exhale inhale that shape the breath, to the cycles of cosmic time and creation, sustenance, and destruction that govern the universe. These teachings open us up to a different relationship to time. 

Of course, this is not the only temporality activated by yoga practice. Another experimentation with time that we undertake is in the recognition that there is only now, that the present moment is the only time there is.  Any class at Svaha Yoga is an exercise in attending to the only-now of the present moment. When Gösta reminds us not to compare “this downdog” to an experience of the posture last week or last year or next year, he reminds us that there is only-now. Every time Patrick adjusts our torso so we don’t lean forward into the future or backward into the past, he reminds us there is only-now. Time is now.

Vinyasa flow yoga (1.5 hr class) #liveyoga #staysafe #vinyasayoga #vinyasa [Live from Svaha Yoga]

Livestream of Vinyasa flow yoga class @ Svaha Yoga Amsterdam #liveyoga #staysafe #vinyasayoga #vinyasa #yogaclass #yoga

There is not so much difference between understanding time as a cycle and understanding time as only-now. Visually, cyclical time can be depicted by a turning circle; the time of only-now can be depicted by a dot. Both have no beginning or end, both go nowhere. Both are complete in themselves. The circle and the dot forge a relationship to time as other-than a line.

The time of sadhana is both a circle and a dot. Each practice is simultaneously a singular, unique instance (a dot) and a part of an ongoing cycle (a circle). Practice is committed: abhyasa. That time is regular, enduring, like the passing of seasons. And practice is without investment in the outcome: vairagyam. The time of non-attachment, by refusing to strive ever-forwards into the future, breaks the temporality of a linear progression. Each time we come to the mat is unique, and yet it is in returning regularly that the practice becomes sadhana. Each inhale occurs as a unique and present now, a dot existing only in the fleeting seconds of an expanding ribcage …. And yet it is part of a life sustaining cycle. Practice forges a relationship to time as both a cycle and as only-now.

Experimenting with temporality in this manner can be a radical action. Philosopher Byung-Chul Han argues contemporary societies are defined by a particular temporality - a particular relationship to time – that produces a sense of anxiety, fragmentation, and stress. Our current age is driven by an exhausting straight line of past-present-future linear time. We are demanded to always improve, continually making ourselves into individuals, moving forward, moving upward, from the past and into the future (Han, 2015). And at the very same time, in our age time has fragmented into countless instants that are disjointed from one another (Han, 2017). We disintegrate into a chaotic non-time that lacks rhythm. These scattered instants offer us no sustenance, and life becomes characterised by anxiety and restlessness (7). 

Forging other temporalities is one way to break out of the exhaustion of linear time and of disconnected, atomized presents. Han proposes methods for doing so. One is contemplation (2017). Another is to enact forms that give the present moment depth: through acts like promising, commitment and fidelity (7). These actions have a “binding” effect that creates “temporal continuity that has a stabilizing effect” (7). Promising, commitment – these are actions that bind dots into circles. Promising and commitment are also the basis of steady, ongoing practice. Following Han, we could say that the commitment and fidelity of regular practice resists the fragmentations of our rushed and anxious worlds, and transforms them into dots of presence in an ongoing cycle.

It is commitment, promising, and fidelity which have sustained the cycles of Svaha Yoga’s twenty-five years. Commitment to opening the doors for class and teaching with love, every time. Last Sunday morning, looking around during Patrick’s class, I couldn’t help but notice life-cycles turning. My 8-year-old son colored a picture next to me during practice. On the mats nearby were folks I have practiced next to for over a decade, and ahead of me several people whose faces were new to me. Patrick was leading class. Twelve years ago, there was a different child coloring on a mat in the back next to her mom, and I was the new face. Patrick was there, leading class. Twelve years before that, Patrick and Gösta had just opened the doors of Svaha Yoga and were beginning the cycle of commitment and fidelity that has kept Svaha Yoga’s doors open for a quarter century. There they were, leading class. 

In class on Sunday, practice forced me into the now of the present moment. Everything else fell away, no going forward, no looking back. Time was the dot of the only- now. But it also mattered, being in the space and amongst the community of Svaha Yoga, as seasons and life cycles and the world turned in their circles. That present moment of practice was given duration and meaning precisely because it was another link in the very long cycle of twenty-five years. To me, this is what the commitment of Gösta and Patrick and everyone who has sustained Svaha Yoga over a quarter century has offered. Against a world that exhausts us by asking “always more, always forwards”, or that disperses us into fragmented bits, Svaha Yoga provides a space for experiencing the joy of being here, now, in meaningful duration. Dots, and circles.

ªAlex Wilson 2024

Han, Byung-Chul. 2017. The Scent of Time: A Philosophical Essay on the Art of Lingering. 

Trans. Daniel Steuer. Polity Press. 

---. 2015. The Burnout Society. Trans. Eric Butler. Stanford University Press.

[mindfullofyoga]

Massages @Svahayoga Amsterdam

We love stretching and exercising our bodies, but sometimes you just need a bit more to truly unwind. Luckily, we know extremely skilled masseurs who transform our spaces to massage studios when we’re not using them. They’re all independent contractors, so you will need to contact them directly for booking and pricing.

Bianka @Svahayoga Downtown Shala

Nuad Thai boran, Deep tissue, Deep tissue combined with lava stones or yoga nidra

📩 [email protected] 📞 06-42124044

Hester @Svahayoga North studio

Shiatsu therapy, Daoist counselling and coaching

📩 shiatsuinamsterdam.com 📞 06-41107989

Marjolein

Deep tissue, relaxation, foot reflexology, fascia cupping (or a combination)

📩 [email protected] 📞 06-40759759

€70/uur €90/1,5 uur

Moaz @Svahayoga Downtown Shala

Deep tissue, relaxation, foot reflexology, Thai Yoga massage

📩 [email protected] 📞 06-38137831

Roza @Svahayoga Downtown Shala

Thai & Energetic Massage

📩 [email protected] 📞 06-22240907

[mindfullofyoga]

Krishna Das Kirtan in the studio

Join Krishna Das coming Thursday 

June 27th at 19.00 at SvahaYoga in the Jordaan studio.

All proceeds of this evening will go to Bonobo Alive https://www.bonobo-alive.org/en-au

Bring something to drink and to sit on.

Doors open 18.15. Doors close 19.00. Don’t be late.

Minimum donation €20.  No PIN no change!

Unlimited members only, due to limited space.

To reserve your spot mail before coming weekend to: [email protected]

[mindfullofyoga]

Jules Febre celebrating 25 years Svaha Yoga

Januari 19th til 21st Jules will be back @Svaha Yoga for a weekend full of joy. We are preparing!

All events take place at the Jordaan studio/Willemsstraat 133,

✨Friday January 19th Open Jivamukti class (all levels) 5.30 - 7.30pm WAITLIST ONLY

✨Saturday January 20th Hip Hop Asana workshop (all levels) 3.30-6pm. Sign up: [email protected]

✨Saturday January 20th Kirtan/Satsang 7-8.30pm. Walk-in (no need to sign up beforehand). Minimum donation 10EUR. Door opens 6.30pm.

✨Sunday January 21st Backbending workshop 3.30-5.30pm. Sign up: [email protected]

For more info or to sign up: [email protected]

[mindfullofyoga]

The value of community: Remove the illusory gap 

As you sit down on your yoga mat.. there is the tendency to immediately close the eyes and turn in. But for once.. please look around, with your eyes wide open. Notice the value of community. Notice the people around you.

‘’The eye can see what we have in common or focus on what keeps us apart. And the heart can feel what joins us with everything or replay its many cuts. And the tongue can praise the wind or warn against the storm. It can praise the sea of dread the floods. It’s not that there are no differences – the world is made of infinite variety – rather it is the fearing of differences – that keeps us from feeling grace. Paradoxically everything in life touches the same centre through its uniqueness – the way no two souls are the same, though every soul breathes the same air’’.

Mark Nepo wrote this in his book ‘’The book of awaking’’ that he wrote during his battle with cancer.

So, as you sit on your mat, relax your heart, breathe deeply.  You know, I’ve cried so deeply these last weeks. During Christmas I couldn’t stop crying anymore. I was frustrated and angry. I wanted the bullshit to stop, the fire to cease. I guess I ruined Christmas for my family members around me, with my torment.. I texted the wise friend about my despair. He said; ‘Rejoice the fact that you cry – if we wouldn’t in the face of current wounds of our fellow humans – who are we? What is left of us?’

Everything that removes the illusory gap between you and all those around you – is spiritual. When we fall into the illusion that one creation is better than the other – we enter the minds worst disease  - the endless deciding between want and don’t want – the endless war between for and against. In the Yoga Sutra’s of Patanjali this disease is referred to as Raga and Dvesha as the effects of Avidya or ignorance.

My friend made me realize that all I have is the gift to be fully open. To let life touch me – to empathize. Not to numb, not to walk away, not to wash my hands in innocence ánd not to wallow in pity. Just to let life touch me and trust that the heart is big enough to hold it all. To empathize as my motor for knowing and living truth. 

The Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield shares: ‘’Even the most exalted states and the most exceptional spiritual accomplishments are unimportant if we cannot touch one another and the life we have been given with our hearts. In undertaking a spiritual life, what matters is simple: We must make certain that our path is connected with our heart. In the end, spiritual life is not a process of seeking or gaining some extraordinary condition or special powers. In fact, such seeking can take us away from ourselves. If we are not careful, we can easily find the great failures of our modern society—its ambition, materialism, and individual isolation—repeated in our spiritual life. In beginning a genuine spiritual journey, we have to stay much closer to home, to focus directly on what is right here in front of us, to make sure that our path is connected with our deepest love.

When people come to the end of their lives and look back, the questions that they most often ask are not usually, “How much is in my bank account?” or “How many books did I write?” or “What did I build?” or the like. If you have the privilege of being with a person who is conscious at the time of their death, you find the questions such a person asks are very simple, “Did I love well?” “Did I live fully?” “Did I learn to let go?”

These simple questions go to the very core of spiritual life. When we consider loving well and living fully, we can see the ways our attachments and fears have limited us, and we can see the many opportunities for our hearts to open. Have we let ourselves love the people around us, our family, our community, the earth upon which we live? And, did we also learn to let go? Did we learn to live through the changes of life with grace, wisdom, and compassion? Have we learned to shift from the clinging mind to the joy of freedom?

We must look at the values we have chosen to live by. Where do we put our time, our strength, our creativity, our love? We must look at our life without sentimentality, exaggeration, or idealism. Does what we are choosing reflect what we most deeply value? If we are still and listen deeply, even for a moment, we will know if we are following a path with heart. All other spiritual teachings are in vain if we cannot love. Even the most exalted states and the most exceptional spiritual accomplishments are unimportant if, we cannot touch one another and the life we have been given.

So, what matters is what we see and how we live. Ask yourself concerning the year that has past “Did I love well?” “Did I live fully?” “Did I learn to let go?” And let it be your guide for the year to come. For our passionate engagement in life. Keep opening up. Letting things in. Move. Protest. Care. Everything that removes the illusory gap between you and all those around you – is spiritual.

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

Much warmth, 

Ida and All SvahaYoga staff