Chiara Travisi on Attention, Healing and the Long Path of Iyengar Yoga | S02E01

RunToYoga Podcast with Tinkara Oblak If you enjoy thoughtful conversations about Iyengar Yoga, subscribe to the RunToYoga Podcast and turn on notifications so you do not miss new episodes. In the first episode of the new season, Tinkara Oblak speaks with Chiara Travisi, one of the founders of the Iyengar Yoga Institute Milano, about attention, healing, self-observation, community, and the long path of practice. Chiara reflects on what makes Iyengar Yoga distinct: cultivating a continuous flow of attention through precise work with the body. They explore how practice can refine perception, support clearer decision-making, and gradually change the way we observe ourselves beyond the mat. The conversation also turns to injury and recovery. Chiara shares how Iyengar Yoga supported her after a serious bicycle accident, why returning to basic actions can be so powerful, and how a class with Geeta Iyengar in Pune became a turning point in the recovery of her frozen shoulder. Tinkara and Chiara also discuss svadhyaya, lineage, mentorship, the role of community, and why there are no shortcuts in practice or in becoming an Iyengar Yoga teacher. This episode will be especially meaningful for Iyengar Yoga students and teachers, and for anyone interested in how sustained attention and disciplined practice can shape both the body and everyday life. Thank you for listening to the RunToYoga Podcast. To stay connected, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend. More information about our work is available at https://runtoyoga.com/en. ============================== Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:55 How Chiara discovered Iyengar Yoga 04:15 From sport to a different kind of practice 05:34 What makes Iyengar Yoga different 07:18 Attention, perception, and the mind 11:40 How practice changes everyday decision-making 14:33 Injury, recovery, and returning to the basics 18:50 Community, lineage, and a safe tradition 22:16 Svadhyaya: practising yoga beyond the mat 25:46 Recognising patterns on and off the mat 26:37 Building the Iyengar Yoga Institute Milano 29:22 Retreats, roles, and recovery 31:27 Pune and memories from the Institute 32:18 Guruji, Geeta Iyengar, and medical classes 36:24 Advice for someone considering Iyengar Yoga 38:08 Why there are no shortcuts 39:21 Closing reflections ============================== Key takeaways • Iyengar Yoga develops sustained attention through precise work with the body. • Practice can refine perception and influence how we observe and respond in everyday life. • Iyengar Yoga can support both the physical and psychological sides of injury and recovery. • Community and lineage offer continuity, tested knowledge, and mentorship. • Svadhyaya extends self-observation from the mat into habits, thoughts, emotions, and choices. • There are no shortcuts. Practice develops through patience, discipline, experience, and time. ============================== Mentioned in this episode Chiara Travisi https://www.iyengaryogamilano.it/en Tinkara Oblak / linktr.ee/TinkaraOblak RunToYoga store and community https://runtoyoga.com/en ============================== About RunToYoga Podcast RunToYoga Podcast is a space for thoughtful conversations about Iyengar Yoga. Through conversations with teachers and practitioners from Europe and around the world, the podcast explores practice, teaching, and the living tradition of yoga, where knowledge is transmitted through experience, attention, and steady work on the mat. ============================== #iyengaryoga #chiaratravisi #runtoyoga #yogapodcast #tinkaraoblak #yogapractice #yogateaching