Nivata Yoga - the practice of (moving) silenceNivata Yoga is a special form of yoga. As the word itself suggests, it is primarily about stillness and how to find it in such hectic times as ours. The Snaskrit "nivata" therefore literally translates as "stillness." This practice is often associated with strength and willpower, for example, in coping with everyday life, therapy, and yoga. It is also often associated with the "courage to be authentic."
The stated goal of Nivata Yoga
As a practice of stillness, yoga is also intended to help develop one's personality and character. This form of yoga is classified as energetic Hatha Yoga , and here, too, practitioners are meant to get to know themselves better and, at the same time, develop their own personality more freely. Very different exercises from contemporary yoga are applied and sometimes reinterpreted; even exercises from Tantra are incorporated into this practice. Among other things, these include series of exercises on polarity, especially the Moon and Star Salutations, but also sequences from "God Yoga" and the individual Sadhana class. Viewed as a whole, it is also fundamental that individual Satyananda Yoga techniques are incorporated. Here, too, an interpretation toward "nivata," or stillness, occurs. Therefore, this form of yoga is, not surprisingly, taught by a specially trained teacher who calls themselves a "Teacher of Stillness."
The overarching goal, in addition to personal development and character discovery, is above all to skillfully master everyday life with its small and large, easy and difficult tasks. Nivata Yoga is intended to provide practitioners with the necessary tools for this. It is often also found that practitioners want to get to know themselves better in the process and also begin to either nurture or question their own needs, desires, and ideas. The exact path taken in Nivata Yoga therefore always depends on the individual, depending on which path is chosen and whether it is consistently pursued.
Who should Nivata Yoga be of help to?
This form of yoga tends to appeal to everyone, as personality and character play an equally important role in every person's life, as does the confident yet conscious handling of everyday life. Above all, Nivata Yoga is repeatedly recommended by its students and teachers for people who find themselves in a crisis or situation of change. The yoga teachings suggest that crises can provide the stimulus for growth and therefore do not necessarily have to be viewed exclusively negatively in the long run. Likewise, the Nivata Yoga teacher has the task of identifying potential opportunities in direct one-on-one sessions that the practitioner may not have previously recognized on their own.
The goal is to develop a mindful, clear, and confident approach to various psychological stressors. This approach is to be taught and conveyed through individual application of the various exercises from meditation, tantra, and yoga mentioned above. In most cases, Nivata Yoga is also complemented by personal, one-on-one discussions. The Nivata Yoga teachers themselves therefore understand this, in a metaphorical sense, as a path from the mat into life, which they hope to show to other willing people.
The individual exercises practiced, however individually designed and performed, could potentially also bring about further health improvements, as are always attributed to various yoga exercises and entire teachings. However, at the forefront of Nivata Yoga, this special teaching method of moving stillness, are mental hurdles, primarily related to character and personality, but also with regard to psychological problems. Whether this form of yoga is individually beneficial is something that practitioners and those interested in it must determine for themselves during practice.
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