Olivier Charles

Olivier Charles is a full-time yoga teacher, a Certified Yoga Therapist, an Ayurvedic Health Counselor, and a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider based in Japan. He is known for his dynamic mix of strength, stability, approachable anatomy, and humour in his classes around the world. Olivier offers a practical approach through lectures and asana to help understand the anatomy of commonly injured areas and how to adjust yoga teaching to address and prevent injuries. His motto is "yoga until 100," reflecting his commitment to finding depth in the practice.

 

Olivier discovered yoga while living in London in 2003. Dealing with back pain and running injuries, he embraced yoga as an essential tool for recovery and a passion in its own right. Always a student at heart, Olivier has worked as a therapist in clinical and private settings for many years. He completed the Advanced Yoga Anatomy course with Tom Myers, deepening his understanding of the body and yoga practice. Olivier taught at Sampoorna Yoga for seven years, honing his teacher training skills, before spending five years at Earth Yoga Village. During this time, he deepened his expertise as the lead teacher and developed the course content for the 200-hour, 300-hour, and yin teacher training courses.

 

Olivier believes that successful practice involves respecting the body's physical limitations and fearlessly exploring greater strength and flexibility through patient and persistent practice. He has a light-hearted, compassionate, and playful approach to teaching, guiding his students to grow through self-observation without judgment. With 12 years of training and retreats in India, Europe, and Japan, Olivier owns and operates a yoga retreat centre and a yoga studio in West Japan with his wife, Hiromi. Olivier values his privacy as a modern luxury and has been a Nichiren Buddhist (SGI) for over twenty-five years. He brings extensive knowledge of yoga to the YOGART COLLECTIVE team, incorporating modern yoga elements, anatomical precision, and Buddhist teachings.