About Yoga for Self Awareness
We are dedicated to the instruction and practice of the different yoga techniques such as the physical part of yoga (asana practice), mind centering techniques (dharana), meditation (dhyana), chanting (kirtan), philosophy studies (svadhyaya) and others in order to increase Self Awareness.
Self Awareness means to come to know and experience oneself as more than the roles we play in life or the societal constructs that are imposed on us or our history and our stories. It is coming to experience who we are underneath these things. Being grounded in that experience we live our life to the fullest.
We aim to teach and guide students in the different yoga practices that promote a deeper knowledge of oneself.
About Jorge Nihal
When I was growing up, it seemed as though all the people I met or observed had found their place in the world.
I wanted this too—to have this sense of stability, to feel grounded, secure, and safe.
Everyone appeared to have their place. But what was mine?
In my early 20s, I discovered yoga, which pointed me towards an answer. Through the practice of yoga, I learned that what I was looking for was right there with me. It had never been absent. In fact, it had been there in plain sight. This was not something I could learn intellectually but a truth that had to be experienced.
I brought a vigorous intensity to the philosophical study, meditation, and of course to the physical element of my yoga practice. This enabled me to start seeing myself and the world in a new light, in a bigger yet humbling way. The physical practice of yoga has not only proven to be deeply transformational; it has also become a rock in the middle of the best and the worst periods of my life.
In July 2020, I was diagnosed with Guillain Barre Syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that weakened my body to the point that I was barely able to walk. The strength and flexibility I had built over two decades of yoga practice disappeared almost overnight. The disease impaired my physical strength and flexibility but could not undermine the inner strength I had developed through my yoga practice. This strength saw me through a month-long stay at the hospital and my ongoing rehabilitation and recovery.
Over the more than 20 years I have been teaching yoga, I have been blessed to have had students of all walks of life and ability, from the developmentally disabled, to the wheelchair bound, to people with severe physical issues, to athletes and dancers, and everything in between. Since my diagnosis, I have discovered a much deeper appreciation for the effort that my students put into their practices, no matter how big or how small.
In September 2020, I was able to resume teaching. My diagnosis has brought a different dimension to my teaching. I have developed an appreciation for the more subtle aspects of the practice and how even the smallest movements can be healing, transforming, and strengthening.
Subtle is not less.
I am thrilled to help my students—whether they are advanced or beginners—to discover how the exploration of subtle movement can lead to a state of mental and physical alignment and a deeper level of self-awareness.
Experience
Jorge Nihal has been teaching yoga since 2000. He is an Anusara certified instructor who has been practicing that style of yoga since 2003. In addition to studying and practicing Anusara Yoga he has also practiced Iyengar, Ashtanga, and Jivamukti styles of yoga.
Jorge Nihal has taught yoga in multiple studios in Southern California (where he also had his own Yoga studio); in the Seattle and Bainbridge Island area in Washington State; and currently in Harlem, the Bronx, and the Upper West Side in New York.
He teaches yoga students of all levels and abilities. He has taught yoga to athletes, dancers, all levels of yoga students, students in rehabilitation centers, seniors, students in nursing homes, and the developmentally disable.
