Why Choose Niyama?
“Niyama is a magical journey, which allows you to understand the power of your mind and your body, through meditation, yoga, breathing exercises and cold water therapy.”
Niyama was created and continues to evolve around the pillars of my life: yoga, meditation, breathwork, cold exposure and mindfulness. All of these play their own roles in maintaining my own physical and mental health as well as training my discipline and my willingness to take chances and test myself.
I certainly wasn’t born the way I am now, waking up before 5am to take a cold shower before 10 minutes of breathwork prior to sitting in silent meditation for 20 minutes. All of this before even thinking about a cup of Costa Rican coffee! I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs like anybody else over the years, which if anything served as an important springboard and motivation to live a happier and healthier life. It’s not about what happens to us, it’s about how we react to it.
Niyama for many will be a starting point, the planting of a seed of possibility to allow them to grow, to make better choices and to start living to their fullest potential - whatever that might be in their own lives, under their own individual circumstances. For some it will be the perfect place to reconnect with the wellness practices that may have fallen by the wayside, and for others a great place to continue to build upon already strong and fine-tuned practices.
Most importantly, Niyama is the perfect place to meet and connect with like-minded people who will support, motivate and guide one another during and after the retreat as well.
“A Niyama retreat is the perfect gift that we should all give ourselves at least once in a lifetime.”
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Yoga
At Niyama we practice Hatha, Vinyasa, Power, Slow Flow and other styles and variations of yoga. If you’re not sure about the difference between them don’t worry, each will be taught and guided based on each participant's ability and experience level.
As much as yoga can at times look like the most beautiful and elegant form of physical theatre, that is never my number one goal as an instructor. My aim is simply to share my practice in the same way that my teachers shared theirs with me, by allowing students to interpret and adapt to their own needs and preferences.
Yoga at Niyama allows people to connect to their practices deeply, but at the same time have fun and enjoy the process of synchronising the body, the breath and the mind together.
“During a single yoga session I saw Mike challenge the most advanced participant and at the same time encourage a total beginner like myself.”
Cold Water Therapy
Cold water therapy has really taken off over the past few years, and there are many reasons for its growing popularity.
At Niyama you will not only take a three-minute ice bath, but will also be taught of the benefits and well-prepared for it in advance, allowing you to understand why you are doing it in the first place. You’ll understand what is occurring in your body as it is happening, and you’ll know how to breathe in a way that will turn this seemingly stressful challenge into a peaceful and fulfilling activity.
Ice baths really help our guests to bond with one another, support one another and see just how strong each and every one of us are. Who knows, maybe you’ll even want to get back in again and again…
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“The ice bath experience is just out of this world! It really helped me connect with my inner self. Mike's support and guidance throughout allows you to live it fully, get all the benefits and have fun!”
Breathwork
I began practicing the Wim Hof Breathing Method in May 2020. I can confidently say that only good things came from it - not only for myself, but also for others that I have since guided through it.
Since then my curiosity about breathwork only increased and now at Niyama I am able to share, teach and guide people through so many different styles that each serve their own purpose and have their own benefits.
For me as an instructor, there is no greater feeling than when someone tells me they have continued using one or more of the methods I teach after the retreats have ended. Be it from breathing for calmness, for energy, for improved sport performance or to calm or even end anxiety.
The breath is our true teacher and can show us how we are feeling and how we are reacting. At Niyama you will learn how to breathe again, working with the breath, not against it, making life a far calmer and more pleasant ride.
“Probably the best guided practices I’ve ever had. The unique style and genuine personality creates a warming safe place that makes you feel like a better human being.”
Meditation & Mindfulness
I learnt Transcendental Meditation (TM) in March 2018 and to say that it changed my life would be an understatement. From living a stressful life with seemingly no free time, all of a sudden I was able to make the time to meditate, which in turn appeared to magically create more time for me every day.
Moving forwards from this it flowed naturally to become more interested in mindfulness and how I could adopt and share these techniques and ways of thinking. I began learning as many types of meditation as I could, studying under meditation and mindfulness teacher Itai Ivtzan.
At Niyama, we offer different mindfulness exercises, deepening your connection with yourself and those around you and allowing you to see things with more clarity - or perhaps even from an entirely new perspective. You will be guided through different styles of meditation, from guided practices based on a theme or topic relevant to the group, to silent mantra meditations.
Living mindfully and practicing meditation gives us a superpower. That power is to be able to disconnect, but to remain totally present at the same time. Come and feel the magic with us at Niyama.
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“Mike is one of the most passionate and devoted instructors I’ve ever met. A unique balance
of power and grace.”
If you have any further questions about the services and the sessions that we offer at Niyama please reach out to us and we will gladly get back to you as soon as we can. Know that for us it will be a privilege to host you, to teach you and to share with you at our retreats.
Mike, Co-Founder of Niyama