Yoga Nidra – 12 h 45

Céline Mary Bienz, a Hatha Yoga teacher, has been practising yoga for more than two decades. What began as a weekly practice gradually developed into a deep personal commitment and, ultimately, a professional vocation.

After earning a degree in literature from the University of Geneva, she taught English and history for fifteen years at upper-secondary level within Geneva’s Department of Public Education (DIP). She subsequently pursued her yoga training through the University Sports programme in Lausanne and with Sylvain Lonchay, who became her mentor. Through his guidance, she was introduced to the teachings of the Bihar School of Yoga in India and discovered the transformative practice of Yoga Nidra, as developed by Sri Swami Satyananda Saraswati.

She also trained in yoga therapy at the Institut de YogaThérapie (IDYT) in Paris under Dr Lionel Coudron, and with Dr Bernadette de Gasquet, whose approach focuses on safe and anatomically respectful yoga practice. Drawing on these complementary traditions, Céline Mary Bienz offers an accessible, carefully structured and adaptable form of yoga that explores its holistic dimensions through movement, breath and mindful awareness.

Following the approach of her mentor, her teaching is both holistic and systematic. The first part of the practice focuses on movement and breathing through Asana and Pranayama. The second turns inward through Yoga Nidra, a gentle exploration of the senses and consciousness designed to cultivate greater physical, emotional and mental well-being. This state of deep relaxation encourages the mind to settle, allowing for restoration, inner calm and a deeper sense of unity, at the very heart of yoga.

Céline Mary Bienz now devotes herself fully to teaching yoga. Her professional partners include the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), the Geneva Department of Public Education (DIP), the Swiss National Museum at Château de Prangins, Yoga Flame studios in Geneva and Lausanne, and Yoga Moves in Nyon.