# Avita Yoga® \| Gentle, Joint-Centered Yoga for Mobility, Strength & Peace > Avita Yoga is a gentle, joint-centered approach to yoga founded by > Jeff Bailey, a yoga teacher and trained Rolfer with more than 40 years > of experience. Instead of stretching farther or pushing harder, Avita > teaches people to slow down, listen, and work with the body through > simple shapes, purposeful movement, gentle compression, and time. The > practice is designed to support healthier joints, stronger bones, > greater mobility, and a more peaceful relationship with the body. New > students begin with the free six-part Avita Foundation Series. Avita > Yoga is offered through live and on-demand online classes, an app, > retreats and events, and teacher development and certification. Avita Yoga® is a registered trademark of Yoga Kaala, LLC. Jeff Bailey is the author of "Mobility for Life" and co-author of "The Yoga Mind." Avita Yoga Teacher Certification is recognized by the American Yoga Council as a CYT Program Level 2 school. ## Business Information - Business Name: Avita Yoga Online - Type: Online yoga platform, retreats, events, and teacher development and certification - Founder: Jeff Bailey --- yoga teacher, trained Rolfer, author, and creator of Avita Yoga - Website: https://avitayogaonline.com - Contact: info@avitamethod.com or https://avitayogaonline.com/contact/ - Free 20-minute consultation with Jeff: https://app.zencal.io/u/jeff-bailey-avita-yoga/avita-yoga-consultation ## Start Here - [Free Avita Foundation Series](https://avitayogaonline.com/foundation-series/): Six short video teachings and guided practices introducing the foundations of Avita Yoga. Free and delivered by email one at a time. No flexibility or previous yoga experience is required. This is the recommended first step for anyone new to Avita. - [Playlist Series 1.0](https://avitayogaonline.union.site/playlists/series-1-0-getting-started): The recommended next step after the Foundation Series for establishing a regular Avita practice. - [Levels of Practice](https://avitayogaonline.com/levels-of-practice/): An explanation of Green, Orange, and Red classes and how to choose the level that best serves the body today. ## Key Pages - [Home / New to Avita](https://avitayogaonline.com/) - [What is Avita Yoga?](https://avitayogaonline.com/avita-yoga/) - [Meet Jeff Bailey](https://avitayogaonline.com/jeff-bailey/) - [Membership & Pricing](https://avitayogaonline.com/pricing/) - [Testimonials](https://avitayogaonline.com/testimonials/) - [Live Class Schedule](https://avitayogaonline.union.site/) - [Replay Library](https://avitayogaonline.union.site/replays) - [Series Playlists](https://avitayogaonline.union.site/playlists) - [Featured Workshops](https://avitayogaonline.com/featured-workshops/) - [Events & Retreats](https://avitayogaonline.com/events/) - [Teacher Development & Certification](https://avitayogaonline.com/teacher-training/) - [Find an Avita Teacher](https://avitayogaonline.com/avita-teachers/) - [FAQ](https://avitayogaonline.com/faq/) - [Contact](https://avitayogaonline.com/contact/) ## Resources - [Mobility for Life](https://avitayogaonline.com/mobility-for-life-book/): Jeff Bailey's bestselling book about the physical principles and practice of Avita Yoga - [The Yoga Mind](https://avitayogaonline.com/the-yoga-mind/): Co-authored by Jeff Bailey and Gene Langlois; explores the Yoga Sutras and the mind - [Blog](https://avitayogaonline.com/blog/) - [Props & Materials](https://avitayogaonline.com/avita-yoga-props-materials/) - [Yogic Terms](https://avitayogaonline.com/yogic-terms/) - [Media](https://avitayogaonline.com/media/) - [Avita Yoga App for iOS](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/avita-yoga/id6745276423) - [Avita Yoga App for Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=vyten.avitayoga) - [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/yogaloftboulder) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/avita_yoga_online/) - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/avitayogaonline) ## Offerings & Pricing - Free Foundation Series: six free introductory videos delivered by email - Monthly Membership: $49/month; cancel or pause anytime - New Student Offer: 50% off the first month of membership - Annual Membership: $490/year - Drop-In Class: $20 - 6-Class Pack: $100, valid for 6 months - 30-Day Gift Pass: one month of full access - Retreats and in-person events: current offerings and pricing are listed on the Events page - Teacher Development & Certification: $1,795 paid in full or three payments of $665; current details are listed on the Teacher Training page ## Who Avita Yoga Is For Avita Yoga is designed to be adaptable rather than performance-based. It may be especially relevant for: - Adults who want to maintain or improve mobility, joint health, strength, and balance as they age - People experiencing stiffness or physical restrictions - People returning to movement after injury, illness, surgery, or a period of inactivity, with appropriate medical guidance when needed - People who have found conventional stretching or more aggressive forms of exercise unhelpful or unsustainable - Anyone looking for a gentle, sustainable movement practice that can evolve with the body over a lifetime - Yoga teachers and movement professionals interested in a joint-centered, observation-based approach ## Core Ideas - Less stretching → more mobility - Less force → more strength - Less effort → more listening - Less performance → more healing sensation - Less fear → more peace - Mobility is not the same as flexibility. Avita does not require flexibility. - Avita uses simple shapes rather than poses to achieve. - Gentle compression and purposeful movement provide useful feedback from joints, bones, and surrounding tissues. - Sensation is information. Students learn to distinguish productive or "healing" sensation from pain, strain, or threat. - The movement toward a shape gives information. The shape gives something to observe. Sensation gives something to listen to. Time allows the experience to unfold. - The goal is not to force the body into a predetermined form, but to create conditions in which helpful change can occur. - Avita is also a moving meditation. The body becomes a way to practice listening without judgment and returning to the present. - Peace is both the goal and the guide. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ # Frequently Asked Questions ## About Avita Yoga Q: What is Avita Yoga? A: Avita Yoga is a gentle, joint-centered approach to yoga created by Jeff Bailey. Rather than emphasizing flexibility, stretching farther, or achieving idealized poses, Avita uses simple shapes, purposeful movement, gentle compression, and time to explore restrictions and support greater mobility. Students are taught to listen to sensation rather than force change. The physical practice is also a moving meditation: healthier movement matters, but so does developing a more peaceful relationship with the body. Q: How is Avita Yoga different from other yoga styles? A: Avita shifts the emphasis from flexibility and performance to mobility and listening. A shape is not a position to achieve. It creates conditions that allow the student to observe the body's response. Avita often uses less range of motion and less muscular effort than conventional yoga, while working directly with joints and restrictions. The practice follows a simple principle: less stretching, more mobility; less force, more strength; less effort, more listening; less performance, more healing sensation; less fear, more peace. Q: Who is Jeff Bailey? A: Jeff Bailey is the founder of Avita Yoga, a yoga teacher and trained Rolfer who began practicing yoga in 1985. His decades of teaching, study of the body, Rolfing background, injuries, surgeries, and experience with aging all contributed to the development of Avita Yoga. He is the author of "Mobility for Life" and co-author, with Gene Langlois, of "The Yoga Mind." Q: What does "Avita" mean? A: Avita means "for life." The name reflects the intention behind the method: a practice that can support movement, inquiry, and peace throughout a lifetime rather than asking the body to meet an external standard. Q: Is Avita Yoga about flexibility? A: No. Avita distinguishes mobility from flexibility. Flexibility describes how far something can move; mobility depends on joints and the body's ability to organize movement effectively. Avita does not require a person to be flexible, and increasing range of motion is not the primary goal. Q: Why does Avita use the word "shape" instead of "pose"? A: In Avita Yoga, a shape is not something to perfect or perform. It is a set of conditions that gives the student something to observe. The movement toward the shape provides information, the shape itself provides something to investigate, sensation provides feedback, and time allows the experience to unfold. Q: What is healing sensation? A: "Healing sensation" is Avita's term for sensation that provides useful feedback without asking the student to push through pain, fear, strain, or distress. Learning to listen to sensation and recognize when to stay, adjust, reduce pressure, change direction, or come out of a shape is a foundational skill. More sensation is not necessarily better. Q: Why does Avita Yoga use compression? A: Avita often uses gentle, thoughtful compression rather than trying to stretch restrictions away. Compression gives the student clear sensory feedback and places controlled pressure through joints, bones, and surrounding tissues. It is used as part of an exploratory practice, not as something to force or endure. Q: Is Avita Yoga a physical or spiritual practice? A: Both dimensions are part of Avita. The physical practice works with mobility, joints, bones, restrictions, and movement. At the same time, Avita is a practice of listening and inquiry. Students learn to observe the body's feedback without immediately judging, fixing, or fighting it. The guiding principle is: peace is both the goal and the guide. ## Getting Started Q: How should a beginner start Avita Yoga? A: Begin with the free Avita Foundation Series at https://avitayogaonline.com/foundation-series/. The six short videos combine teaching with simple guided experiences and introduce the essential ideas of Avita one at a time. After completing the Foundation Series, Playlist Series 1.0 is the recommended way to establish a regular practice. Q: What is the Avita Foundation Series? A: The Foundation Series is a free six-part introduction to Avita Yoga. The videos introduce a different way of approaching movement: slowing down, listening, discovering mobility without aggressive stretching, exploring capacity without force, and allowing peace to guide the practice. The series is designed to help a new student experience Avita rather than simply understand it intellectually. Q: Do I need yoga experience or flexibility? A: No. The Foundation Series and Green-level classes are designed to be accessible to people who are new to yoga, stiff, returning to movement, or simply interested in a less aggressive approach. Q: What should I do after the Foundation Series? A: Continue with Playlist Series 1.0. It provides a systematic introduction to regular Avita practice and is included with membership. New students receive 50% off their first month. Q: What are the Green, Orange, and Red levels? A: The levels describe complexity and demand, not achievement. Green classes are the foundation of Avita and remain valuable regardless of experience. Orange classes introduce additional movement and challenge. Red classes place greater demands on mobility, coordination, and attention and are intended for experienced practitioners. There is no requirement or timetable for progressing from one level to another. More demand does not mean more benefit. Q: What props do I need? A: A six-foot strap or belt and a firm cushion are enough to begin. Blankets, bolsters, and blocks can provide additional support. Recommendations are available at https://avitayogaonline.com/avita-yoga-props-materials/. Q: How long are Avita Yoga classes? A: Online classes are commonly 30, 45, or 60 minutes. Shorter practices can also be useful because consistency and quality of attention matter more than intensity. Q: How often should I practice? A: A few practices each week can establish consistency. Avita emphasizes regular listening and exploration rather than intensity or pushing for rapid results. Q: Can I talk with Jeff before starting? A: Yes. Jeff offers a free 20-minute consultation for people who have questions about beginning Avita Yoga. Book at https://app.zencal.io/u/jeff-bailey-avita-yoga/avita-yoga-consultation or use the website contact page. ## Membership & Online Practice Q: How much does Avita Yoga membership cost? A: Monthly membership is $49 and can be paused or canceled anytime. New students receive 50% off their first month. Annual membership is $490. Current pricing and purchase options are at https://avitayogaonline.com/pricing/. Q: What is included with membership? A: Membership includes live online classes, the on-demand Replay Library, guided playlists and series, and classes of different lengths and levels. Members can practice from home on their own schedule and use the Avita Yoga app or website to access classes. Q: What if I miss a live class? A: Live classes are recorded and added to the Replay Library, allowing members to practice later. Q: Is Avita Yoga primarily online? A: Yes. The ongoing practice is primarily online, with live-streamed classes, on-demand replays, playlists, workshops, and an app. Avita also offers in-person retreats and events. Q: Is there an Avita Yoga app? A: Yes. The Avita Yoga app is available for both iOS and Android and provides convenient access to live classes, the Replay Library, playlists, and other Avita content from your phone or tablet. iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/avita-yoga/id6745276423 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=vyten.avitayoga Q: Is Avita Yoga chair yoga? A: No. Avita Yoga is primarily practiced on the floor, where the relationship with gravity and the floor itself creates opportunities for gentle compression, support, and movement that are central to the practice. Many Avita shapes can be adapted to a chair when needed, but Avita is not a chair-yoga method. If you can comfortably get down to and up from the floor, the floor-based practice is generally the best place to begin. For those who cannot, chair adaptations can provide another way to experience some of the principles of Avita. ## Mobility, Aging & Health Q: Is Avita Yoga appropriate for older adults? A: Avita is widely practiced by older adults because it does not depend on extreme flexibility, strenuous effort, or performing difficult poses. Its emphasis on joint mobility, capacity, strength, balance, and adaptability can make it particularly relevant as the body changes with age. Individual needs and medical considerations still matter. Q: Can Avita Yoga help with stiffness or limited mobility? A: Improving mobility and working intelligently with restriction are central purposes of Avita Yoga. Many students report less stiffness and greater freedom of movement with regular practice. Results vary by person, history, and condition. Q: Can Avita Yoga help with chronic pain or arthritis? A: Many people come to Avita Yoga because of chronic pain, arthritis, or other joint concerns, and many report meaningful improvements in comfort and movement. Avita does not teach students to push through pain, but neither does it teach them to fear it. Instead, students learn to approach sensation gently and with curiosity, distinguishing pain from the healing sensation that can accompany helpful change. Persistent pain and arthritis can have many causes, so Avita is not a substitute for appropriate medical diagnosis or care. Q: How does Avita Yoga support bone health? A: Avita includes gentle weight-bearing, muscular engagement, and compression through different parts of the body. The method is designed with bone strength and long-term function in mind, and many students with osteopenia or osteoporosis use Avita as part of their movement practice. Individual medical guidance is important for anyone with osteoporosis or elevated fracture risk. Q: How does Avita Yoga relate to balance? A: Avita approaches balance as a whole-body capacity rather than simply practicing standing balance exercises. Mobility and sensory feedback from the feet, ankles, knees, hips, spine, and other joints all contribute to how the body organizes itself in space. Avita practices these underlying capacities along with strength, coordination, and attention. Q: Can Avita Yoga improve posture? A: Avita does not emphasize holding an ideal posture. Jeff teaches that movement restrictions and compensation patterns are often more useful to investigate than trying to consciously "correct" posture. As mobility and organization change, students may notice changes in how they naturally sit, stand, and move. Q: Can Avita Yoga help with stress or sleep? A: Avita combines gentle movement, sustained attention, and slow, gentle nasal breathing. Thoughtful compression-and-release shapes, together with unforced breathing and reduced effort, can support the body’s parasympathetic, or “rest and restore,” response. Students often report feeling calmer after practice, and some report improvements in sleep and their relationship with stress. These experiences vary and should not be interpreted as treatment for a medical or mental health condition. Q: Does Avita Yoga include breathing practices? A: Yes. Breath is both part of the practice and an important source of feedback. Avita encourages slow, gentle nasal breathing and explores the relationship between breathing, sensation, effort, movement, and nervous-system state. Its breathing principles have been influenced by Patrick McKeown’s Oxygen Advantage method and the Buteyko Method. Q: Can I practice Avita Yoga after an injury or surgery? A: Avita is adaptable, and many students come to it after injury, surgery, or periods of limited movement. Readiness and appropriate modifications depend on the individual. Follow the guidance of your healthcare professional when recovering from an injury, surgery, or significant medical condition. Q: Can Avita Yoga be used alongside medical treatment or physical therapy? A: Many students use Avita alongside medical care, physical therapy, or other movement practices. Avita is educational and experiential and is not a substitute for diagnosis or medical treatment. See https://avitayogaonline.com/injury-disclaimer/. ## Retreats, Events & Community Q: Does Avita Yoga offer in-person retreats? A: Yes. Avita retreats provide extended time for practice, rest, questions, conversation, and community. Retreat locations and schedules vary. Current offerings are listed at https://avitayogaonline.com/events/. Q: Can I find an Avita teacher near me? A: Yes. Certified Avita teachers are listed at https://avitayogaonline.com/avita-teachers/. ## Books & Teachings Q: What is "Mobility for Life"? A: "Mobility for Life" is Jeff Bailey's bestselling book about the Avita approach to mobility, joint health, bone strength, healing sensation, compensation patterns, breathing, and sustainable movement. Learn more at https://avitayogaonline.com/mobility-for-life-book/. Q: What is "The Yoga Mind"? A: "The Yoga Mind," co-authored by Jeff Bailey and Gene Langlois, explores the first pada of the Yoga Sutras and the nature of the mind. Its inquiry into perception, thought, peace, and the purpose of yoga informs the philosophical dimension of Avita Yoga. Q: Is Avita Yoga only about the body? A: No. Physical change is an important part of Avita, but the body also becomes a vehicle for healing the mind. Sensation, restriction, discomfort, and change give us opportunities to notice how we respond—to listen rather than judge, and to question the fear and resistance we bring to our experience. Rather than making peace dependent on the body behaving a certain way, Avita asks whether peace can guide how we meet the body now. This understanding has been strongly influenced by Jeff Bailey’s more than 35 years of study and practice of A Course in Miracles, alongside his lifelong study of yoga. Both have shaped his understanding that yoga is ultimately about joining rather than separation. In Avita, the body becomes a practical classroom for that inquiry. This is why Avita is a moving meditation as well as a movement practice. ## Teacher Development & Certification Q: What is Avita Teacher Development? A: Avita Teacher Development is a self-guided, experiential path for understanding Avita Yoga and learning to share it with others. It combines online study, personal practice, teaching assignments, live mentoring and practicums, feedback, and assessment. The emphasis is not on memorizing idealized forms or simply completing a curriculum, but on developing the ability to observe, listen, adapt, and create conditions in which students can learn from their own experience. Q: Who is Avita Teacher Development for? A: Avita Teacher Development is for dedicated Avita practitioners, yoga teachers, and movement professionals who want to understand the method more fully. Some participants enter primarily for personal development; others intend to teach Avita professionally. Previous conventional yoga teacher training is not required, but experience with Avita practice is expected. Q: Is Avita Teacher Development online? A: The core learning is designed to be completed online and can be entered without waiting for a traditional in-person teacher-training intensive. Students work through the curriculum at their own pace while participating in mentoring, practicums, assignments, and feedback. In-person gatherings may be offered separately as opportunities for practice, connection, and continuing development. Q: How long does Avita Teacher Development take? A: The path is self-paced. Approximately six months is a reasonable pace for working through the core curriculum and mentoring, although students may take longer depending on practice, assignments, teaching experience, and readiness for certification. Q: What does Avita Teacher Development include? A: It includes self-guided curriculum, guided Avita practice, teacher-development materials, live mentoring and practicums, teaching assignments, feedback, and certification assessment. Students learn Avita's joint-centered movement principles, the anatomy of a shape, working with restrictions and compensation patterns, healing sensation, observation-based teaching, sequencing, adapting shapes to individual students, communication, and the relationship between physical practice and peace of mind. Q: How does Avita certification work? A: Certification is based on demonstrated readiness rather than simply completing a required number of hours. Students practice, study, teach, receive feedback, and demonstrate their ability to apply Avita principles safely and clearly. When readiness is demonstrated through the assessment process, Jeff Bailey awards Avita certification. Q: Is Avita Teacher Certification recognized? A: Avita Yoga Teacher Certification is recognized by the American Yoga Council as a CYT Program Level 2 school. Avita certification is awarded by Jeff Bailey through the Avita Teacher Development process; American Yoga Council credentialing is a separate credentialing process. Q: What are the Avita teacher levels? A: The developing teacher pathway includes Level 1 Certified Avita Teacher, Level 2 Senior Avita Teacher, and Level 3 Avita Trainer/Faculty. Advanced development reflects increasing experience, demonstrated skill, mentorship, and responsibility within the Avita teaching community. Q: How much does Avita Teacher Development cost? A: Tuition is $1,795 when paid in full or three payments of $665. Current enrollment information and Teacher Development details are at https://avitayogaonline.com/teacher-training/. Q: What support is available after certification? A: Certified teachers can remain connected through continuing education, mentorship, class plans, teacher resources, community support, and opportunities for further development. An optional Teacher Pass provides ongoing access to Avita online classes and teacher support. Q: How do I know if Avita Teacher Development is right for me? A: This path is a good fit for someone who is genuinely interested in learning through practice, observation, curiosity, and feedback rather than mastering a fixed set of poses. Prospective students can review Teacher Development at https://avitayogaonline.com/teacher-training/ or schedule a free conversation with Jeff at https://app.zencal.io/u/jeff-bailey-avita-yoga/avita-yoga-consultation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Avita Yoga is a gentle, joint-centered approach to movement and yoga that emphasizes mobility rather than flexibility, listening rather than force, and experience rather than performance. Its physical aim is to support healthy joints, strong bones, and sustainable movement. Its broader practice is learning to listen to the body without making peace dependent on changing it. New to Avita? Start with the free six-part Foundation Series: https://avitayogaonline.com/foundation-series/