From Problem to Purpose: Niko's Story
I was 25 years old and I was feeling like my life was over. Bored, unhappy, purposeless.
Even though I had friends, I didn't really communicate with them. Even though I had a job, I didn't feel like doing my best.
After some years of subtle suffering, I decided I needed a revolution for myself. "This is it" - I thought, I'm going to do whatever it takes to begin a new life.
Soon afterwards I started practicing yoga, where I met amazing people. I saw how a different lifestyle was possible. They didn't have everything sorted out, but they were happy, and I was after happiness.
The peak moment in my journey was during a workshop in Lima - Perú, with my teacher Meir Ezra. He said: "The bigger the purpose, the smaller the problem". I was completely blown away. I started to have a big realization: happiness requires overcoming obstacles. Happiness is not a natural phenomenon that happens to certain people, it's something that we all can create.
I realized that choosing a purpose encourages us to make an effort in life.
Living life based on a purpose doesn't mean you don't get barriers on the way, it means you are more able and willing to overcome them, because you are choosing to create a positive impact in the world.
It’s not about not falling down. It’s about understanding that we can always stand up after falling.
We can go through a tough day, a tough week or even a tough year. But the quality of our lives is not measured by how many "good days" or "bad days" we live, it's measured by many of the hard situations we're able to handle.
After these big lessons, my life changed for good. I changed it. Now when I'm going through a tough situation, I notice there's a lot of invitations to complain or to find fault in others, but I know that falling for that would only make the situation worse, so I don’t. Instead I keep seeing the good intention in others and I keep validating my wins everytime. This keeps my focus on the purpose, rather than on the problem.
Yoga is the tool I use for self-realization, to understand my mental patterns better and to be able to spot myself every time I lose my center.
Whenever there's a big problem, there's also an opportunity to improve ourselves by defining purpose.
Niko
ABOUT NIKO
Originally from Peru, Niko discovered yoga in 2014 after a decade of competitive rowing, seeking something deeper than the purposeless success he'd achieved. What he found was a complete life revolution—a path that transformed him from bored and unhappy to purposeful and alive.
With over 1,000 hours of training specializing in Vinyasa Yoga, Alignment, and applied philosophy, Niko brings the wisdom of someone who's walked through his own darkness and emerged with clarity. His teaching doesn't promise you won't fall—it promises you'll learn to stand back up, again and again, with your purpose as your compass.
Now married to fellow RA teacher Denise, Niko has been teaching since 2015, offering classes, workshops, and retreats that blend intelligent movement with life-changing philosophical insights.
If Niko's journey from problem to purpose resonates with you, experience his transformative guidance firsthand. He'll be leading our January 2026 Yoga Teacher Training—bringing his unique perspective on how yoga becomes the tool for self-realization and discovering what you're truly here to create.