Nevine Michaan is a yogi, mystic and raconteur, renowned as the founder of Katonah Yoga, a transformative practice that brings together classical hatha yoga, daoism and esoteric philosophies, developed and shared through her poetic language. When Michaan teaches, she speaks in metaphor, often describing the human body as an instrument that must be fine-tuned to play well both alone and within the larger orchestra of other bodies. Born in Egypt in 1954, she moved to the United States at 3 years old. In her 20’s, while studying religion and history, she discovered yoga, and in 1986 founded the Katonah Yoga Center. Today she resides on acres of quiet wooded land in Pound Ridge, New York and spends her days weaving large scale teepees, harvesting saffron from her garden, and inviting friends to visit her. Surrounded by nature, she remains fully attuned to the quiet rhythms of life.
In addition to being a prolific yoga instructor, Michaan is also the daughter of Jacques Cohenca, whom the brand is named after, and the aunt of founder, Gregg Cohenca. Her property serves as the backdrop for the new Fall/Winter campaign, which introduces a collection of flowing and luxurious separates made from the finest virgin wool, cashmere and silk.
Here, Cohenca and Michaan sit down to discuss the influence of nature on wellbeing, morning rituals and their relationship with Jacques.
GREGG: How do you begin each day? What are your most sacred morning rituals?
NEVINE: Nothing is more magical than waking up in the morning. I go to bed very early and there is so much magic in waking up. I wash my face and then brush my teeth as a leftie so I don’t have to be habitual, because I am a rightie. Then I have my coffee, which is very consistent and made by Steven [my husband]. Then I do my breathwork, which is also very consistent. I like my breath practice just like my coffee, every time it’s new and every time it’s amazing.
GREGG: Can you tell me the story of Katonah Yoga? What is the philosophy behind it and where did it begin?
NEVINE: First I will say that the guiding principle, of course, is the mystical experience. I always loved religion, myths, fairy tales, nature and mystical experiences. I do yoga to have mystical experiences and the goal for me was to have them without blowing my circuitry or damaging my health. With yoga, I was able to move into a practice that allowed me to access material and also work on my mind and body. Some people come to yoga for body, some for spirit, some for mind. For me it was for spirit.
When people ask me about Katonah, the first thing I try to move through is the idea that all yoga is music. Your body is your instrument, your mind the musician and your breath is the tone. The goal is to know how to tune your instrument, to know how to read the score and to know how to adjust the timing and then to play, because the great joy of life is really in playing well. And then when you play with others, the goal is to know how to orchestrate well. The theory behind Katonah is really that you learn how to play your instrument and then it doesn’t matter what kind of practice you do.
GREGG: What does the mind-body connection mean to you and why is it important?
NEVINE: When you first play with the mind-body connection, the problem is it’s only a current between two things. And when you play with a current between two things you’re dealing with a line of communication. You’re dealing with a polarity. But the real trick of yoga is the trinity. It’s knowing how to mediate polarity. And that’s why we start with mind, body, breath or mind, body spirit. It’s really that understanding that is by virtue of not being polarized that you can start to mediate. So the mind game is knowing how to have an open imagination and an open mind. The body game is the deal that the body is going to fall apart and get old and that you have to take care of it. And the breath game is really the driver, the mover. It’s what pumps you up. To find joy, you need to be pumped up. If you think of yourself like a ball, if it’s flat, there’s no joy in playing with it. How do you pump yourself up? That’s why yoga is a mediation narrative.
GREGG: What are some simple ways people can enhance or strengthen their mind-body-spirit connection?
NEVINE: The first trick is to open your mind and know that you can participate in your well-being. You can decide to take a polarity like hot water and cold water and become the mediator that decides how much hot to how much cold. Another big trick is to know that you have 24 hours in a day. A canon of belonging to religion is that you follow their calendar. You know you are participating in a religion when you show up on their canonical days. But in yoga, it’s about how you are showing up for the 24 hours in a day. What do you do with this time? How can you leverage your time so that you actually have a better integration between your mind, body and breath? Some people have to learn. The first trick of that is to know how to play your instrument. Some people do better going to classes because they’re home alone a lot so they need to be taught with others. Some people are always with others and they need time alone. First, you do what comes naturally to you, and then slowly you do something else. If you always do it one way, do it the other way. Then you’re instantly meeting another great polarity, which is really getting insight by yourself and getting insight from others.
GREGG: What influence does nature have on a person’s wellbeing?
NEVINE: It's a very easy answer. You belong to nature, it’s the most profound thing that surrounds you and informs you and transforms you. Who are you to go against the gods of nature? It will serve you well to know how to organize yourself within nature. Know how to play in nature. I think of it as three fields. There is the first field, which is embodiment, the body, which includes microbiomes, the physical being, agriculture and earth. You eat well, chew well, and fuel your body with the earth. Then there is the second field, the spirit field, which involves knowing how to play well with others. It’s the tennis field or the football field. If you know how to play well you will win. Then there is the third field, the mind field, which is your imagination. Feed it well.
GREGG: What do you love most about the nature that surrounds your home?
NEVINE: It is all about nature. Nature is happening everywhere and it is all amazing. We live in the woods here. We have fires every day because we can. There is wood, so we make a campfire every day. I know I have 24 hours in a day. So I think, how am I going to use this time? I must know how to entertain myself. I build lots of teepees, I make structures, I garden, I produce most of my food through my garden. I take advantage of where I am, wherever I am. But in order to do that you have to feel well. It’s not limited to hindu yoga, but you have to tend to your body, your mind and your spirit and put it all together. When you are well, it is much easier to enjoy it all.
GREGG: Tell me about the teepees you’ve made.
NEVINE: I started making teepees, nests, structures, because I love putting things together and playing in nature. They’re fun. Each one has a different personality when it comes to life. It’s very exciting to enliven something like that. Then to watch the birds come. There’s magic in anything one does well.
GREGG: What is the most sage piece of advice that you’ve received over the years and from who?
NEVINE: My favorite piece of advice comes from a mountaineering slogan from maybe 40 years ago. “There is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate gear.” There is an art to articulating feelings and there is magic in something that is very accessible.
GREGG: Tell me about Jacques and your relationship with him. In what ways has he influenced your path to this work?
NEVINE: The big word is love. I love so much because my father, your grandfather, loved so much. I had a great father. He was very much of his era. He smoked two packs of cigarettes a day and he was very debonair. He was willing to work hard for all of us and loved us all so much. He took care of us. He loved numbers, played with them all day and liked to measure up. I also love playing with numbers and measuring up. He was also very handsome and elegant. I am very privileged.
