Yoga Research and Training Centre
Meet our team: founder, yoga teacher, physiotherapist… We are more than just a yoga centre; we are a community dedicated to personal development.
Contact us to find out more about our training courses and how we can support you on your journey to integrating yoga into your life.
Our Team
Maria Vivian Lagier
- Master of Arts in South Asian Languages and Civilisations, University of Lausanne.
Buenos Aires. Bachelor’s degree in Oriental Studies, University of El Salvador.
Training in yoga therapy. Kaivalyadhama Institute, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Swiss representative of the Lonavla Yoga Institute, India ®
Poet and tango dancer.
Maria Vivian Lagier, with over thirty years of experience in yoga practice, combines solid practical expertise with in-depth academic training in Oriental studies and South Asia. Specialising in adapting yoga to different audiences — children, teenagers and seniors — she is committed to making this discipline accessible to all. Her long association with major figures in the lineage of Swami Kuvalayananda, notably Drs. Manohar Gharote, Mukund Bhole and Manmath Gharote, testifies to her deep commitment to yoga tailored to the specific needs of each individual.
Introduced to Eastern religions and yoga at a very young age, Maria Vivian began her practice at the age of nineteen while studying at the Universidad del Salvador in Buenos Aires. Between 1996 and 2004, she followed the teachings of Drs. Bhole and Gharote in Argentina, training in yoga therapy, techniques and traditions. She also obtained certification from the Kaivalyadhama Centre, a world-renowned institution. At the same time, she founded and directed the Yoga and Oriental Studies programme at the Hernando Arias de Saavedra Institute in Misiones, before moving to Switzerland in 2004.
In Switzerland, she continued her academic studies at the University of Geneva (religious therapies and therapeutic religions) and the University of Lausanne (cognitive sciences of consciousness, followed by a Master’s degree in Literature). Her thesis, devoted to the yoginī Indra Devi, reflects her interest in the encounter between tradition and modernity. A poet and tango dancer, Maria Vivian also explores the multiple expressions of human sensitivity. In 2017, she founded the Centre for Yoga Training and Research in order to pass on the rich intangible heritage she has acquired throughout her life.
Dr. Manmath Gharote, director of the Lonavla Yoga Institute in India, plays a major role in the international dissemination of yoga. His contribution is distinguished by his research and publication of ancient manuscripts of great value, as well as his expertise in yoga training and yoga therapy. As a guest lecturer at the Centre for Yoga Training and Research (CFRY), he enriches the training of future teachers through his courses and lectures, offering a unique perspective based on tradition and scientific rigour.
Coming from a background entirely dedicated to the study of yoga, Dr Gharote grew up in Kaivalyadhama, a pioneering centre for yoga research and teaching. With a PhD dedicated to Swami Kuvalayananda, he now teaches applied yoga at the universities of Mumbai and Pune. In 1996, his father, Dr Manohar Gharote—a researcher at Kaivalyadhama for over thirty years—founded the Lonavla Yoga Institute to translate the fundamental texts of Hatha Yoga into English. Dr Manmath Gharote continues this mission today, striving to make the knowledge preserved in these manuscripts accessible.
Among his most notable publications are The Encyclopaedia of Traditional Asanas, Therapeutic References in Traditional Yoga Texts, and Traditional Theory of Evolution and Its Application in Yoga. He has also translated major works such as the Dattātreyayogaśāstram, the Siddhasiddhāntapaddhatiḥ, and Svātmārāma’s Haṭhapradīpikā (in its complete ten-chapter version). Through his research and teaching, Dr Gharote contributes to a renewed understanding of yoga, both rooted in tradition and open to contemporary needs.
Manmath Gharote, Ph.D.
Director of the Lonavla Yoga Institute (India)
Christelle Siza
Dancer and 600-hour yoga teacher. Specialising in yoga therapy, yoga for children, teenagers, pre- and post-natal yoga, yin yoga and tantric yoga.
Christelle Siza, apporte une perspective à la fois unique et profondément empathique à l’enseignement du yoga. Forte de son parcours de danseuse et de son expérience en animation pour enfants, elle possède une compréhension fine du corps et de ses besoins spécifiques. Elle joue aujourd’hui un rôle essentiel dans les formations de yoga destinées aux enfants, aux adolescents et aux futurs enseignants, où elle transmet avec bienveillance son expertise et son sens du mouvement.
After many years of teaching dance to young children, Christelle discovered yoga during her first pregnancy sixteen years ago. Impressed by the physical and inner benefits of this practice, she quickly felt the desire to share it and make it the focus of her professional activity.
She first trained in pre- and postnatal yoga, then in Yin Yoga, before specialising in yoga techniques for children and teenagers. Continuing her studies at the Centre de Formation et de Recherche en Yoga (Yoga Training and Research Centre), she deepened her practice and understanding of yoga through teacher training and the writing of a thesis on modern Tantrism.
Katia Abbondanzieri, a qualified physiotherapist since 1997, has had a genuine passion for anatomy since childhood. With over twenty years of teaching experience, she shares her knowledge of the musculoskeletal system in an original and lively way, particularly through palpation. Her approach is aimed at a wide audience from various disciplines: health, naturopathy, massage, shiatsu, podiatry, kinesiology, yoga and even tango.
At the same time, Katia teaches classical massage and Argentine tango, two practices that nurture her sense of movement, precision and body awareness. Her dual experience as a therapist and teacher allows her to constantly connect theory and practice, science and feeling.
Driven by a desire to make anatomy accessible to all, she makes it a point of honour to turn this discipline into a lively exploration of the human body. Her teaching, based on observation, touch and direct experience, invites everyone to develop a sensitive and embodied understanding of movement.
Katia Abbondanzieri
Physiothérapeute. Professeur d'anatomie palpatoire et de conscience corporel. Danseuse et enseignante de tango.
Our approach
In the practice of yoga, our approach transcends the simple management of pathology to embrace a deeper awareness of being. We aim to go beyond the limits of conventional medicine by placing the individual, with their unique experiences and personal challenges, at the heart of our practice. This approach requires developing a holistic understanding of each person, establishing a yogic diagnosis that takes into account not only physical symptoms but also emotional and spiritual aspects. By carefully selecting the most appropriate yogic techniques, we are committed to guiding each individual towards realising their full potential, thereby promoting a harmonious balance between body, mind and soul.
In a world where constant turmoil and noise can overwhelm our senses, I am convinced that returning to our inner selves is crucial. This introspection allows us to develop clear and focused thinking, which is essential for taking appropriate and balanced action. It guides us towards deep harmony in our human relationships, our interaction with nature, and our connection with the spiritual world. This return to ourselves is the key to navigating the world around us with wisdom and compassion.
Vivian Lagier
Would you like to find out more about our yoga teacher training courses?
Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information about our courses or our centre. We are available to answer your questions accurately and professionally.
It is important to note that 100% of our graduates have found employment after completing their training, reflecting the quality and effectiveness of our teaching programme.
