Shiva Rea is one of the world’s best-known vinyasa teachers and the creator of Prana Flow, a fluid, movement-rich style. In an interview with Yoga International she talks about her life and practice.
A life between the sea and the altar
She lives near Topanga State Park in California, a couple of miles from the ocean. She balances teaching and travel with family life, and surfs even in winter. She has created more than 25 variations of the sun salutation.
Her ideas
- Yoga as a way of living, not an obligation.
- Shakti bhakti: yoga as a devotional path to oneness with the Source.
- The heart centre: her altar helps anchor practice in the bindu, the centre point of the heart.
- The breath as inner teacher, guiding moment by moment.
A day in her life
Ayurvedic oil self-massage, meditation and japa in the morning. Later, a vinyasa practice that begins with intuitive movement before moving into a structured sequence.
She compares herself to a big cat: releasing energy, then resting.
Source: Yoga International – Shiva Rea on shakti, surfing, and sadhana.
