Ivo Dolničar is Hatha yoga teacher, Certified Hatha Yoga Instructor, and nationally recognized Operative Yoga Trainer, born and raised in Belgrade, capitol of Serbia, Europe, and he don’t belong to any particular yogic school or tradition. His knowledge, yogic training and teachings are based on Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Adwaita Vedanta philosophy of Sri Adi Shankarachariya and ancient teachings and traditions of Shakti Tantra Shastra. Ivo has a huge respect and is also very interested in learning about every other spiritual system, teachings and traditions that lead aspirant to self – realization and oneness.
Ivo is owner of Wabi Sabi Yoga studio in Belgrade, teaching Hatha yoga group and private classes, doing workshops and seminars, serving and teaching people every day how to find and use their own immanent hidden potentials and how to live their lives to the fullest, as a whole Being. Being blessed to do this, he is constantly improving himself as a teacher and, more important, as a lifetime student learning from every soul that may come across his path.
Checkout His profile on LinkedIn: Ivo Dolničar
Yetta: Namaste, Ivo Dolničar, Please say few words about your Yoga Journey.
Ivo Dolničar: Namaste! Since I can remember, I was on the quest for meaning and purpose of human existence and Life itself. There were a lot of questions inside and an irresistible urge for learning to find the answers. So I found myself soul searching at a very early age, studying ancient and modern philosophy and monotheistic eastern religion and belief systems, along with history and psychology, but what I found were so much information, analyzing particularities and providing only opinions and not answers, that I can actually relate to.
Unsatisfied, I turned to ancient spiritual and mystic traditions and practices of the world, searching for more esoteric and profound sources, and Yoga philosophy definitely was a way of synthesis that I have been searching for and only genuine knowledge pointing at things that I intuitively always felt inside, but was not able to put in any order and express by myself. I felt strong connection and naturally I realized that I found my path. That happened many years before I actually started practicing Hatha Yoga.
Yetta: Why you choose Hatha yoga amongst all different discipline?
Ivo Dolničar: There was the time when due to constant struggle for living and life challenges mixed with very unhealthy life-style, I found myself physically, mentally and emotionally completely exhausted and in very bad shape. My immune system was weak and my body started developing serious stress related issues.
Hatha Yoga was the natural answer, and I was blessed to find a great, very experienced and internationally recognized yoga and meditation teacher Swami Shreevidyananda and only yoga school in Serbia “Vidya Yoga Beograd“ that holds Yoga Alliance certifications for Yoga Teacher Trainings. I started my practice and after some time my perception towards Life totally changed, my overall health improved like never before, and I was able to experience health, growth, clarity and creativity in all aspects of life. I finally felt deep inside that I am where I truly want to be.
I would always suggest Hatha Yoga first. Our body is our temple and it should be healthy, purified, strong, flexible and circulating. According to ancient yogic tradition and the Eight Limb Raja Yoga system as taught by sage Patanjali in “Yoga Sutras“ Hatha Yoga is basis, a first step, and it is required with it’ s techniques for every true and sincere aspirant on the path of self – realization.
Yetta: What is your favorite yoga practice and how does it benefit your life?
Ivo Dolničar: Yoga Nidra is definitely one of my favorite yoga practices. Yoga Nidra is a progressive relaxation technique that stems from ancient tantric ritual practice of Niyasa. Created and introduced to the world by Paramahansa Swami Satyananda Saraswati, famous tantric guru from Bihar School Of Yoga who defined it himself as a “relaxation achieved by recollection of mind“, Yoga Nidra is systematic method of complete relaxation on physical, mental and emotional level, based on a receptive awareness and not on concentration. In the Eight Limb Raja Yoga system of sage Patanjali, this technique is aspect of Pratyahara, where mental awareness is separated from the senses and it is practiced by yogis to achieve higher levels of concentration or Dharana. It also proved to be a very effective tool for everyone who practices it to rest, relax and to heal him / herself. Yoga Nidra is one of the most powerful methods not only for relaxation, but awakening of the dormant centers of the cerebral cortex, well known in contemporary neural science. Yoga Nidra can be used also as an intro to sleep which makes sleeping more effective, or alternative to sleep (30 minutes of Yoga Nidra can be substitute for 2 hours of sleep)
Yoga Nidra is essential in my everyday teachings, and from my personal experience it is very effective with its benefits in the following fields:
- Growth of knowledge and creativity
- Increased resistance to stress
- Persons transformation
- Psychological preparation of athletes
- Memory improvement, effectiveness in absorbing information and their subsequent reproduction
- Therapeutic use – healing through visualizations and positive affirmations.
I would warmly recommend to every yoga teacher, aspirant and practitioner to read really great book: “Yoga Nidra“ by Swami Satyananda Saraswati and make this unique method part of their everyday teachings and practice.
Yetta: What advice would you give yoga beginners to motivate them?
Ivo Dolničar: Remember that all masters had once been beginners. Take it slow, one step at a time, do your best, do not over-think, be patient, be grateful and humble, be kind, breathe and trust the process. Yoga is journey of you, through you, to you.
Yetta: How you become a certified Hatha yoga Instructor?
Ivo Dolničar: Becoming a Hatha Yoga Teacher was a very natural step further to me. Being blessed with yoga in my life I wanted to pass on my experiences and knowledge to other interested people. It was also the way for me to give my best, meeting my deep longing, to serve people body and soul. I finished my YTTC and Faculty of Sport required for the national recognition and work license as the Operational Yoga Trainer in my country, and started teaching Hatha Yoga as a full time profession. Today, Yoga is my path and joy, a highest calling, a way of living and I can’t even imagine doing something else as a professional.
Yetta: Have you ever taught yoga to seniors or people with limited mobility? Share your experience.
Ivo Dolničar: Yes, I taught a lot of private classes for injured athletes and people with some physical disabilities or limited mobility. To be honest, I’ve never seen such a commitment, determination and strength of will before. They are very aware of their body and its potentials and abilities, careful listeners, fast learners and very hard workers. I can’t be more grateful to them, as I was actually able to witness and experience the miracles and joy of self-healing and transformation through the process of Yoga. I really learned a lot from these beautiful and strong spirits.
Yetta: Why yoga therapy training is so important for yoga teachers?
Ivo Dolničar: Today, Yoga therapy is important more than ever. In the times of Kali Yuga, every Yoga teacher should be well educated and trained in proper dealing with stress related disorders and psycho – somatic diseases that are rapidly becoming epidemic issue of modern society. Yoga is very well-known for its health benefits and transformational and healing powers and is more and more recognized all over the world as an additional or auxiliary method of healing by medical profession community, along with other traditional and alternative healing methods and techniques contributing the overall health and well-being of humanity.
In Serbia, Yoga is recognized as an additional method of healing by Government of Serbia, Ministry of Health, and medical professionals are trained in yoga therapy, applying its benefits in their everyday practice.
In my humble opinion, that is a huge step toward the better common understanding of the wholeness of health and well-being as phenomena.
I would like to recommend to our readers a great book on the subject of Yoga Therapy:
“Structural Yoga Therapy“ by Mukunda Stiles.
Yetta: Important Yoga accessories you recommend for Yoga learner or beginner.
Ivo Dolničar: In my opinion, when the beginner finds a really good teacher, only accessory he/she needs is a quality Yoga mat. My personal choice is Manduka The Black Mat Pro.
Yetta: Please share some information about your brand, books or about your website.
Ivo Dolničar: I am owner of nationally well-recognized Wabi Sabi Yoga studio in the center of Belgrade, capital of Serbia. We are providing group and private classes every day, conducting workshops and seminars on many subjects of yoga and other related disciplines and traditional and alternative healing methods and techniques, along with promoting holistic approach to human being and conscious, healthy and creative lifestyle, wholeness and joy of well-being.
Yetta: Say few words for our readers.
Ivo Dolničar: I would like to quote the words of Rumi, a poet, Sufi scholar and Saint:
“Wherever you are,
Be the soul of that place”
“You are not a drop in an ocean,
You are the ocean in a drop”
I would like to thank Yetta McGovern, for making this interview possible and our readers for your kindness, your time and attention reading this interview.
Om Shanti
Hari Om Tat Sat
