13 Mar Choose the best Yoga school for you based in authenticity, tradition, and knowledge.

Often times the things that are most worth experiencing are not shouted about from the mountain tops, when choosing a Yoga school, do you hear the soft whispers of the peaceful land of the Thai people calling you?

Many Yoga courses are overly commercialized for pleasure and a “spa like” experience, but this diverts from the true essence of Yoga. True happiness comes when we sink into our own depths and discover the still, quiet voice within.

Wise Living Yoga Academy is about authenticity and tradition. We have real teachers who practice Yoga as a way of life. Let me introduce them to you.

Our head teacher and co-founder, Jeenal Mehta was born in Mumbai, India to a traditional Yoga family where she practiced Yoga as a lifestyle from a very young age. She didn’t separate Yoga from her life, as Yoga is actually a way to live life.

In her teens, she began to study with Hanasji and Dr. Jayadeva, her direct teachers. At the Yoga Institute of Mumbai, India, Jeenal learned Yoga with medical specifics to help folks with diseases such as obesity, asthma, hypertension and spinal disorders. She studied in depth with her teachers about Yogic philosophy, meditation, pranayama and asanas. She studied Yogic texts, mantras, and sutras.

Yoga is so vast, it would take a lifetime (or 2) to study it all, but all Jeenal has learned she offers in her foundational and advanced courses at Wise Living Yoga Academy. 

Jeenal teaches from a place of wholistic understanding. Yoga can give you a more flexible toned body, and Yoga can also give you a more peaceful presence. Yoga also has the effect of habituating one to a spiritual state of consciousness where we understand we are not only living for ourselves, but living for a greater community and a greater purpose. This is the foundation of Jeenal’s teachings.

This is why Jeenal co-founded Wise Living Yoga Academy, so that people could come together; Study, eat, and practice a healthy lifestyle. When we begin to heal ourselves, we are more readily available to those around us.

Jeenal makes connections with all her students. She is very knowledgeable and her classes are full with information and philosophy that awakens the mind.

Our next teacher is Stefano Nortarbartolo, He is a charismatic family man who also studied Yoga at the Yoga Institute before continuing his education in Yoga Therapy, Yogic cleansing techniques (shatkarmas) and philosophy in both India and Indonesia.

Stefano’s classes are dynamic, and full of storytelling and laughter. He is an Italian born expat, when he’s not teaching and living with us in Thailand, he lives in Jakarta, Indonesia with his wife and 3 daughters.

Stefano is approachable, and knowledgeable, always willing to go the extra mile after classes to make sure his students received the information well. He doesn’t take himself too seriously, however, he is seriously knowledgeable, offering modifications to students when needed and a joke or 2 to make his classes well rounded and accessible.

We have added a new chanting teacher to our faculty. Sonia will help you chant, discover your voice, and help you to integrate ancient knowledge into your everyday awareness.

Sonia is a woman, mother, Brazilian, and in love with the Vedic tradition. She began her spiritual journey early on, seeking to find a deeper understanding of the self, the world and God. She began her studies of Vedanta in 1997 with Swami Vagishananda. She is graduated in Philosophy from PUC-Campinas and decided to study deeply Vedanta.

In 2003 she went to Rishikesh to attend the residential course on Vedanta, Sanskrit and Mantras with Pujya Swami Dayananda and Sw. Brahmavidyananda. Since then she has made India her home, where she has lived for past 13 years.

Today Sonia lives in Auroville – India with her husband and two children. She dedicates her life to her family, to the studies and teachings of Vedanta, Sanskrit, mantras and Indian culture in India, Brazil and around the world.

Welcome to one of our world renowned courses in peaceful Thailand. We are now offering a promotion for our May course. Save $333 if you register before April 1st. And if you mention this blog post, take an additional $100 off for a total savings of $433.

Don’t forget to share this post with your friends! Come in a pair for a beautiful shared experience.