ZIVA AND I
Paul Harvey, Israel, February 2007

Ziva Kinrot and I first met in 1995 at the European Union of Yoga Federations Annual Congress in Zinal, Switzerland. I was there teaching Yoga as a guest of the Federation (EUFNY) and Ziva was there representing Yoga in Israel as President of The Israeli Yoga Teachers Association (IYTA).

It was through our meeting and her role as President of the IYTA that she invited me to visit Israel to teach Yoga. From this chance meeting of two foreigners in the Swiss Alps a lot of Yoga water has flowed in two directions.

Firstly the beginning of a twelve year relationship with Israel, still as vibrant as my first visit, to teach numerous times at many levels ranging from one to one personal lessons, to evening talks, to day seminars, retreats, Foundation Courses and now contributing to Yoga teaching and therapy training courses.

Secondly the further Yoga study and training undertaken by Ziva herself. I say further because when we met in 1995 Ziva was already an eminent Yoga teacher and had been elected by fellow Yoga teachers in Israel to be the President of the Yoga Association, a post which she held for the 3 years of office.

Yet in spite of this existing experience and long established place within Israeli Yoga teaching society Ziva chose to undertake a full training in this way of applying Yoga, known as the viniyoga of Yoga,

This involved her in travelling to England numerous times to study within the training courses running through my centre there, as well as many special training workshops in Israel. This was supported by Ziva’s commitment to years of individual lessons with me and to developing her personal practice. It was through this dedication to the teachings and practice that Ziva relearnt her Yoga skills as a musician realises that playing a piece of music skilfully is about the combination of learning to play both the music and the instrument as if one.

The recent developments these past years have seen Ziva becoming increasingly autonomous in terms of running her own Introductory and Foundation workshops supported by my confidence in offering her my own training manuals to use as she wishes through her own Yoga Studies Programme. I have also observed Ziva teaching and have supervised her through numerous one to one situations with her clarity, firmness and care for the outcome of the situation.

This has all evolved over the years to the point where Ziva is able to offer a full training programme in the art of Yoga teaching and therapy and my support and involvement in this is now becoming increasingly minimal.

As they say, when the student is ready the teacher disappears, at this rate I have not long left here in Israel as a teacher, and am happy to leave the music in the capable hands of the musician and remain as a personal friend, with a love of Israel and with a deep respect for all that this students devotion to the practice and teaching of the viniyoga of Yoga has accomplished.