Born in the Soviet Union, raised in Latvia and then Canada, Kosta Miachin has led a life full of travel and transformation. Kosta’s journey into yoga has taken him to the far reaches of the world; from remote Himalayan ashrams, healing camps in India, to his initiation by a master monk in a sacred Sak-Yant ceremony in Thailand. But it was the little island of Koh Samui that he eventually called home – opening the VIKASA Yoga Retreat on 11.11.11. For the best part of a decade, Kosta has overseen the rise of what has become a cosmopolitan hub for yogis worldwide.
Inspired by the notion of personal evolution, Kosta developed The VIKASA Method. It reflects his deeply held belief that yoga can be a tool of transformation: a means to helping individuals evolve physically, mentally, emotionally and energetically. Kosta’s vision is to help the world and the evolution of yoga. He is certified with Yoga 23, Sivananda Yoga, Mysore Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Andiappan Yoga and Universal Yoga and now travels the globe teaching at festivals and retreats. Kosta has had the great privilege to train thousands of students and positively contribute to, and affect, other people’s lives. His direct, concise, authentic yet adaptable and modern approach to yoga, has made him a leader in his field.
Kosta resides and teaches yoga in Koh Samui most of the year when he is not otherwise training or teaching in other countries. Born in Eastern Europe, with extensive time spent in Canada, Europe, America and Asia, Kosta is very much a global yogi with a global vision. The vision for VIKASA yoga was born on Koh Samui with Kosta’s realization that the deeper dimension of yoga is a spiritual journey and a conscious evolution of the individual. Seeing this as the ultimate human endeavor, he committed his life to supporting others on this path. With his wealth of knowledge and experience came the understanding that yoga is an ever evolving process and unfolding of one’s own nature in an infinite return to the true self.
The first VIKASA space was create by Kosta in a typical Thai house on the east side of the island of Koh Samui. The house was simple but soulful with a beautiful Zen garden to inspire peace and meditation. The space had a rustic outdoor yoga sala which allowed Kosta to begin teaching certified yoga courses while his own yoga practice developed into the modern day VIKASA yoga method. The first VIKASA Yoga Teacher Training students graduated in his garden and celebrated their accomplishments with healthy food and local music. Kosta continues to share his passion for yoga in his latest yoga resort on Koh Samui in Thailand where you can participate in foundation and advanced level yoga teacher trainings.
When we first discover yoga, it seems similar to other options on the exercise menu. During practice we start to notice, however, that yoga is more than a means of achieving physical fitness. It’s an opportunity to gear our entire lifestyle toward self-love, good health, and peace of mind. Many find themselves inspired to make changes in other areas of their lives, one after another, pushing them further along in their process of personal evolution. They might choose to invest more time in relationships with compassionate and health-conscious individuals, adopt a vegetarian diet, or embark on a meditation journey that aids the release of jarring memories and emotions.
To reap the maximum benefits of yoga, allow it to serve you as one element of a holistic approach to wellness in your life. The meaning of ‘holistic’ relates to the idea that we are not solely the sum of our parts, but that each aspect of our lives is intimately connected with who we are as a whole. Physical practice is important, but it should be one part of a greater overall change that results in a more positive way of being, thinking, and interacting with the world. Ideally, yoga practitioners combine asana work with personal transformation in the areas of food, community, meditation, and philosophy. Programs
Programs involving detox, traveling, spa treatments, and other fields of wellness contribute to our enjoyment of this journey of well-rounded growth, and we think life should be enjoyable! We work consistently to develop new programs that help those in our community achieve the highest results of personal transformation. We encourage you to create daily habits that can be integrated into your real-world life outside of VIKASA. We aim to teach you knowledge that will change your life. It’s up to you to take it home with you.
The concept of evolution continues to be the core of the holistic VIKASA lifestyle. In addition to "evolution" VIKASA also means to become visible, expanding and shining forth. This is centered on the notion that everything in the world evolves constantly, including human beings. Our primary goal as a human race and that of any living organism, is evolution. Personal development through physical, mental and energetic exploration facilitate such as evolution. Personal evolution changes with time and place. New techniques are constantly being introduced and the approach is becoming more technical, precise and scientific.
Did you know that you can train with Kosta and the senior teaching team at Vikasa Yoga Academy in Koh Samui? There comes a time in every yogi’s journey when we realize that there are deeper levels to explore, in yoga and in life. We embrace this depth and we call upon our tribe to join us in exploring the meaning of this crazy human experience. We may not have all the answers, but we have the guts to ask the questions. How far can I reach? What does it mean? What impact can we have? How powerful is love? Let’s explore beyond the yoga mat, beyond ourselves, into the world and into the universe, based on a fearless and profound belief that the answer is peace, love and yoga.
“yoga doesn’t take time, it makes time.”
