Universal Yoga was developed by the extraordinary teacher Master Andrey Lappa, who came to yoga with a background in science, engineering, and professional swimming. After discovering yoga at a young age, he dedicated his life to its practice and to the study of ancient yogic wisdom, not simply as a physical practice, but as a complete science, philosophy, and way of life.
According to Yoga, a human being is much more than the physical body. We exist through multiple interconnected layers, or koshas, encompassing the physical, energetic, psychological, mental, spiritual, causal, and ultimately formless dimensions of our being.
The central goal of Universal Yoga is to cultivate harmony and balance within each of these layers, between the layers themselves, and between the individual and the world around us.
Universal Yoga practice encourages us to explore beyond what is already comfortable so that we can continue learning, adapting, and growing.
The practice integrates asana, vinyasa, breath, mudra, concentration, meditation, and conscious awareness into one interconnected system.
Strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, and concentration are developed together as we practice on the mat.
One of its most distinctive practices is the Universal Yoga Mandala. Instead of practicing primarily in one direction on the mat, we move and turn in multiple directions, creating a balanced practice.
The very principle of Ha and Tha reflects our search for balance: active effort and passive release, strength and flexibility, action and surrender. Breath is consciously coordinated with movement and stillness, allowing the practice to reach beyond the muscular body and begin to influence the energetic structure, nervous system, attention, and state of consciousness.
Ultimately, Universal Yoga is not concerned only with how much the body can accomplish. Its deeper purpose is to use the body, breath, energy, and awareness as instruments for developing consciousness, creating inner balance, and moving toward greater freedom.