“Yoga is science, cure and life”

▲ Viveka Yoga / CEO Kim Eun-ju

Vivekananda Yoga University in India is the sole Indian government-recognized yoga university in the world. Founded based on teachings of Vivekanana 50 years ago, the university runs 30 educational offices in the world including the US, Australia, Singapore, Dubai and Japan. The Korean office opened its door in 2011 by Kim Eun-ju, CEO of Viveka Yoga. 

Vivekanana was a spiritual leader respected by Gandhi and Nehru. He traveled the US and UK teaching Jnana, Bhakti, Karma and Raja yoga and spread teachings of Ramakrishna, a mystic and a religionist. He taught people to live cosmic self rather than egoistic self in order to be enlightened. 

Vivekanana asked people to live the way one wants but never forget the fact that we all are cosmic existences. With this awareness, we can make less mistakes in life. He said that all people on earth regardless their religion can find inner way to expand their inner world. 

Viveka Yoga CEO Kim Eun-ju obtained a master’s degree in yogic science at Vivekanana University. Unlike yoga in India, she says, yoga in Korea separates spiritual side from practical side. Yoga in India is a philosophy that has had influence on health, medicine, education and art. It is an integrated training for spirit, soul and body as well as constructive social ethos. 

The primary spirit of yoga in India is called ‘banjjagosha’, the five layers that cover the soul of human body: bone, flesh, muscle, blood and hormone. The five sensory organs in our body detect outer stimulations from which desire arises and which leads to action to realizing the desire. In this respect, Kim says, yoga should better be approached scientifically and systematically. 

Kim brought up three teaching slogans to Viveka Yoga: yogic science, yogic therapy and yogic life. At Viveka Yoga, trainees can learn physical, mental, emotional and spiritual part of Viveka Yoga without the need to go to India. Kim also runs a yoga instructor’s course to foster talented yoga instructors and currently is working on forming partnership with Patanjali Yoga University and Harvard Kundalini Yoga Institute for students to obtain Vivekanana University qualifications.

“Yoga is not an exercise to keep body slim but is a way for body and mind to sail toward enlightenment. A yoga scripture Bhagavad Gita points out wisdom, action and devotion as the three ways of yoga. It tells us we should not confine ourselves in our body and mind but pursue wisdom and enlightenment in order to find better self. Yoga is consisted of pose, meditation, breathing, mantra and various other techniques that help us to realize ourselves and to ease pains we experience in our daily lives.”

Kim signed a business agreement with Miryang City in 2017 to promote yoga tour and yoga therapy in the region. As part of this effort, Kim and the city held Miryang Arirang International Virtual Yoga Conference at Hotel Arina Miryang from October 31 to November 1. 

This online event connected Harvard University professor Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, who has opened 45 educational programs, as a lecturer on the screen. Khalsa proposed new lecture models for everybody to participate, and received positive respond from attendees.

Marking the 4th conference this year, the record high 19 sponsors including Indian Embassy to Seoul backed up the event and Indian Health and Family Welfare Ministry, Yoga Federation of India, and the WHO sent video congratulations. 

Kim said that the conference would spread yoga and meditation to the world over Miryang and South Korea and she hoped it would also contribute to health and peace of the people. 

“Yoga is science, cure and life” believes Kim.