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I’m back from studying with Francisco Kaiut at the new yoga school he opened in São Paulo’s Pinheiros neighborhood in 2022. It is an enchanting place. Here are a few snapshots.
Brazil skyline
The São Paulo skyline, photographed from the living room of my Airbnb, located just down the street from Kaiut Yoga SP’s original and current spot (soon to relocate). I snapped this pic around 2:45 PM.
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Kaiut Yoga is a living yoga method, meaning it’s ever-evolving. My favorite way to absorb and participate in the evolution is by taking classes in person with Francisco.
Francisco Kaiut
Francisco Kaiut
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The practice space at Kaiut Yoga SP has a special vibe. It is simultaneously cozy and chill, friendly-feeling and private (the design equivalent of wearing noise-canceling headphones).
The view from my mat, waiting for class to begin at Kaiut Yoga SP.
The view from my mat, waiting for class to begin at Kaiut Yoga SP.
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I arrived in São Paulo with questions about Brazilian culture, which can only be answered by spending time there.

“Cities are part of nature…” — Francisco Kaiut

Architectural pedestals create a tree-like canopy of vegetation over the driveway of a commercial building.
Architectural pedestals create a tree-like canopy of vegetation over the driveway of a commercial building.
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With a population of over 11 million, São Paulo is an enormous city! From the air, it is a megacity of blocky high-rises on a scale that defies comprehension. On the ground, it’s a tapestry of textures: modernism, vegetation, tiled sidewalks, street art, fruit markets, flowers, humidity, people, fashion, song, and filtered light.

Meet my friend and travel companion, Katia. Here she is standing in a cluster of fig trees crowding the sidewalk in São Paulo’s Pinheiros neighborhood. This non-native species thrives in Brazil.
Meet my friend and travel companion, Katia. Here she is standing in a cluster of fig trees crowding the sidewalk in São Paulo’s Pinheiros neighborhood. This non-native species thrives in Brazil.
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In between classes, we walked. I enjoyed the experience of feeling suspended in this strange and colorful place.

The banana booth at the Thursday market on Rua Antônio Bicudo spanned half a block! There wasn’t time to try them all.
The banana booth at the Thursday market on Rua Antônio Bicudo spanned half a block! There wasn’t time to try them all.
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My last cultural stop after an intense week of yoga focused on toe and ankle mobility was a Friday evening visit to the São Paulo Museum of Art. I felt dropped to my knees by Lia D. Castro’s paintings of feet superimposed over classic still life images. Still life painting in fine art is about impermanence.

Check out Lia D. Castro at MASP (pronounced maspee) through 11/17.
Check out Lia D. Castro at MASP (pronounced maspee) through 11/17.
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I’m back home, back to teaching, feeling super clear and inspired about sharing this essential yoga method with you. What is possible for you, given your family history, your body’s history and cultural legacy when it comes to feeling calm, functional, eased and strong, like the growth potential you want in this lifetime is accessible to you? In my experience, it’s vast. Reach out to connect.

Ipê flowers on a Pinheiros sidewalk.
Ipê flowers on a Pinheiros sidewalk.