Philosophy and Lifestyle
Veda Ela’s life passion is sharing the yoga philosophy and lifestyle. Her love for what she does lets her bring enthusiasm, sincerity, and humor to her classes, workshops and Teacher Trainings. It’s “unbelievable how she dares to open her heart, be vulnerable, go to her depths to give from there,” said Christel, one of her students.
“She embodies Yoga in her Life and Teachings”
What makes Veda Ela’s classes so one-of-a-kind is her unique perspective. For her, Yoga is not a distraction or something for your spare time. Instead it’s a roadmap and a philosophy. “For me, Yoga is a way of Life. We practice on the mat, yet Yoga happens off the mat in daily Life!”
And her vibrant energy is infectious. Those who attend her classes come away with more enthusiasm, curiosity and a greater acceptance for the yoga practice. “I have been in many yoga training groups and workshops but this one was so very special. I will hold this experience in a special place in my heart!” Janis wrote in a testimonial.
A Pioneer
Veda Ela has always been a trailblazer. It’s what took her to India before it was trendy to seek out sages, gurus and ashrams, and study meditation and the yogic lifestyle. It’s why she helped found Pachamama in the virgin jungles of Costa Rica before alternative lifestyle villages before that became hip. And it’s why she immersed herself in Restorative Yoga long before it became a global phenomenon.
And yes, to say that Veda Ela brought Restorative Yoga to western Europe is an exaggeration. But not a big one. For while today you can find this form in yoga studios across the region, back when she returned from India it was almost unheard of. Only when she’d developed and introduced her own style did it really start taking off, particularly in her second home, the Netherlands.
Teaching Yoga for Personal and Spiritual Growth
Her desire to explore forms a fundamental part of what she teaches. This is reflected back in her classes, trainings and workshops, which are as much about self enquiry and discovery as about learning the forms and asanas.
She’s used her unique perspective to help many of her students get in touch with their body, mind, and soul and find clarity, joy, balance and spiritual growth.
Embracing Change
Because she’s always seeking out the undiscovered territories within us, she and her students are constantly finding new insight, evolving and growing. These she uses to continue developing her classes so that even after three decades what she teaches remains fresh, innovative, inspiring and perhaps even a little quirky.
And yet, not all is change. As Veda Ela explains: “We observe the changes in the periphery knowing that, within ourselves there is a space, where nothing moves, changes or dies.”
A Desire to Share
One thing that remains is her passion is to share her yogic lifestyle. For as long as she’s taught, her central aim has always been to help students develop spiritually, discover their dreams and find their life’s mission. She’s even been able to assist people in finding the right alignment so those dreams can come true.
