“Yogibana weaves yoga and ikebana together in 12 steps...taught over 12 steps in a 60 minute period...Each themed lesson covers a wide range of ikebana and yoga practices and the implications of such practices on entrepreneurship. ”

— Mona Anita K. Olsen

CONNECT WITH MONA TO GET THE UPDATED SCHEDULE FOR 2020

Yogibana is an artistic wellness concept fueled by the weaving of yoga and ikebana (Japanese style floral design) together in 12 steps. Yogibana can be enjoyed by anyone in any location in 12 steps. This innovative concept is a fusion of the arts, design, hospitality & wellness practices, and entrepreneurship.

Created by Dr. Mona Anita K. Olsen in 2018 at Innovation Barn in Norway, Yogibana launched its first classes in Ithaca, New York at Cornell University. Olsen was an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. She is also a registered Holy Yoga Instructor and a certified Sogetsu ikebana teacher. Initially aimed at addressing the social constructs around addiction in a variety of forms and aiming to improve mobility in seniors, Yogibana has implications for a variety of groups. Yogibana has been taught on Cornell University’s campus in the arts community, to the public in the Ithaca community, and in social entrepreneurship courses at Cornell University. Yogibana also launched in Norway in collaboration with Innovation Barn.

Each Yogibana session has a theme that is taught over 12 steps in a 60 minute period. There are currently 12 lessons developed and they can be offered over a 12 week period, a 12 hour period, or a 12 month period. Each lesson covers a wide range of ikebana and yoga practices and the implications of such practices on entrepreneurship. The ideal group size is 12 students.

Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. It invites you to meditate by focusing your awareness on the technical and creative task at hand. It is a journey that leads to inner stillness and a more graceful state of mind, transcending the sensory beauty of the flowers themselves. Ikebana symbolically explores the connections between humanity, the natural world, and the heavens.

We can learn a lot from flowers. Just like our lives, the flower’s life cycle is short, and understanding this helps us set our priorities straight. We are able to release our attachments and aversions to complete a sense of fulfillment. Entrepreneurs wear a lot of “hats” and deal with a constant barrage of issues. Each day’s tasks and priorities are often a jumbled mess that changes as new emergencies and developments arise. To be successful, entrepreneurs must stop focusing on what is urgent and prioritize what is most important.

On the other hand, yoga is an ascetic discipline widely practiced for health, calmness, and relaxation; yoga includes breath control, simple meditation, and specific bodily postures. It encourages you to relax, slow your breath, and focus on the now. It slows down the mental loops of frustration, regret, anger, fear, and desire and helps get rid of the constant thoughts roaming in our heads.

Yogibana teaches us that we need to be willing to change when needed. Yogibana embraces the idea that we are provided with resources in our mind, body, spirit and ecosystem that can be used to weave beautiful creations on life’s journey, regardless of philosophical persuasions. Yogibana is based on the idea that “the goal in life is to be flexible enough to bend with the wind without breaking, and strong enough to move with the tide without being swept away.”

Yogibana for the schools Article