Studio Abhyas

🪔 About

Navtej Johar is a distinguished Indian classical dancer, choreographer, yoga exponent, scholar, and urban activist, widely recognized as the founder of Studio Abhyas and subsequently the Abhyas Trust. He established Studio Abhyas in 2000, which evolved into the Abhyas Trust in 2004, based in New Delhi, India. Johar received his foundational training in Bharatanatyam from the esteemed Kalakshetra and further honed his yoga practice at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai. His vision for Abhyas was to create a space dedicated to the dissemination of traditional forms like dance and yoga. Over the years, the focus of Abhyas has broadened beyond conventional training to critically examine the pedagogy of Indian embodied practices. This inquiry has led to extensive research and experimentation, culminating in the development of two innovative methods: Abhyas Somatics and the BARPS method. Abhyas Somatics integrates the 'sukha' (pleasure) and 'rasa' (aesthetic experience) components of Yoga and Indian dance, while the BARPS method offers an internal approach to understanding and practicing asana. The Abhyas Trust's activities are centered around the body, encompassing somatic practices, Vedic chanting, urban activism, and scholarly research. The Trust also engages in intellectual discourse on classical Indian texts related to Samkhya, Yoga, linguistics, poetics, performance-aesthetics, and Tantra, through study groups, workshops, seminars, and lecture series. Beyond his contributions to dance and yoga, Johar is also an urban activist, leading the award-winning program “The Power of Seeing” with school children, aimed at fostering environmental awareness and proactivity. Awards & Honours: Award for "The Power of Seeing" program.