There is a moment that anyone who has tried a yoga studio will have faced at least once. It’s when the person practising next to you stands there, holding their body rigidly, while watching the postures they are working on being completed lightly and effortlessly. Vinayoga starts right at that point. Rather than forcing your body to match set movements, you redesign your yoga again to fit your body and your current condition. A place has been arranged where you can learn this old wisdom first-hand.
The Korean Body Psychotherapy Education Association said it will hold a Vinayoga special lecture at Bucheon Jigeum Yoga Studio from 1pm to 5pm on Saturday, 5 September, under the title ‘Personalised Yoga for Me, Waking Up Through Vinayoga and Body Sensations’.
Yoga that begins with your body rather than fixed movements
Vinayoga is a practice rooted in the tradition of Krishnamacharya, an Indian tradition often described as the father of modern yoga. “Don’t fit people to yoga; fit yoga to people” is at the heart of the teaching. Since movements and breathing are flexibly adjusted according to an individual’s physical condition, age and recovery capacity, the organisers say even modern-day beginners with stiff bodies—or people living with pain—can approach it without overexertion.
The special lecture will be run around three pillars. First, a tailored practice that applies yoga in line with each person’s circumstances and functions, according to the Krishnamacharya tradition. Second, a recovery practice that corrects destabilised postures with gentle movements centred on the spine, while awakening life energy. Third, a sensory awareness practice in which participants experience a state of meditation where breathing volume increases through proper breathing methods and the mind becomes calm.
From an overview to breathing training— a 4-hour curriculum
The curriculum is made up of four parts: an overview of Vinayoga, Vinayoga asana, understanding pranayama, and foundational pranayama practice. After understanding the philosophy of Vinayoga through theory, participants practise asana with their body, then move on to the principles and basic hands-on work of pranayama, the breathing practice, in a single day. The organisers introduced it as a time to awaken the life force within the body by closely observing one’s own body sensations, rather than doing exercises that must be followed without strain.
The lecture will be led by Professor Oh Kyung-sook of Wonkwang Digital University. Oh is a PhD in mind-body integrated healing studies and a Vinayoga specialist. She runs a natural healing yoga centre in Jeju and serves as vice chair of the Korea Yoga Alliance. She has spent a long time guiding tailored healing yoga in the field, including previously serving as chair of the yoga association in the Jeju region.
Participant information
The special lecture will take place for four hours, from 1pm to 5pm on Saturday, 5 September 2026, on the third floor of Jigeum Yoga Studio in Haeriom Town, 221 Beoman-ro, Bucheon city. The participation fee is 120,000 won, and early registration by 31 July costs 100,000 won.
Applications are accepted via the Naver blog of the Korean Body Psychotherapy Education Association (http://blog.naver.com/kasp_edu) and by phone (010-7657-6802). For those who were worn out trying to fit yoga to their bodies, this special lecture is expected to offer a new, unfamiliar yet comfortable experience in which yoga comes towards them.
