Teacher
Biography

Patrick Oancia
Director

Patrick was born in Hong Kong in 1968 to a Spanish mother and a Romanian father. He was raised in Spain, and Canada, and has had a base in Tokyo for 19 years. Patrick has been immersed in practicing yoga since 1996. He has traveled around the world attending advanced intensive workshops, study and specialized training programs to continually deepen his knowledge. He has studied various hatha yoga asana traditions including iyengar, sivananda, and ashtanga as well as ever refining the practices of pranayama (breathing techniques), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), and dharana (concentration) in order to go deeper into dhyana (meditation). He has also studied yoga, Indian, Taoist, Sufi and Buddhist philosophy in the relation to contemporary lifestyle.

 

patrick

Not knowing much about yoga at the start, Patrick has seen his practice gradually generate a complete transformation in the way he leads his life. He moved into a style of living that has increased his level of awareness to the point that it has revolutionized the way he feels about being alive. He has become fascinated with the intelligence within the physical body and the powerful insights that can be brought forth through regular yoga practice.

He spent many years as a performing guitar player, singer/songwriter in alternative pop/rock bands in Tokyo and abroad, and is still active in music production, performance, composition and DJ-ing, as well as pursuing interests in all facets of design.

Patrick comes from a sporting background of competitive cycling, is an avid snowboarder and pursues various other disciplines that challenge a better understanding of how to maintain optimum physical stamina, clarity and health. He is also deeply intrigued by diet and nutrition, and believes that natural changing circumstance can reveal what is best for the body at any given time.

Patrick is accredited as an E-RYT 500 (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher) under the International Yoga Alliance. In addition to the yoga that Patrick teaches at YogaJaya public classes in Tokyo, he also develops curriculum and writes essays based on a contemporary interpretation of yoga lifestyle, facilitates on teacher training programs, and holds workshops and retreats internationally.

Patrick teaches yoga to enhance his own creative lifestyle, as well as to complement his love for living a life full of interesting and new challenges. He sees teaching yoga primarily as a pleasure of sharing a profound knowledge.

Patrick chose the name YogaJaya (union vanquishes) for the Tokyo studio in order to focus on the way that yoga has helped him to overcome and then move beyond the limiting factors in his own life.

Patrick believes that all the yoga practices only provide the foundations for the journey to self-realization. He feels it is up to the individual to interpret what works best at any given time on that very road to personal discovery. Be it yoga, or any alternative lifestyle which can potentially challenge continual change, and natural growth based on dynamic life experience.



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Copyright 2004, yogajaya. All rights reserved. Photos by Kiyoto and Peter M. Cook