Manizeh Rimer has been described as a “heart-opener” by her students, friends and peers in her global community. The Jivamukti Yoga teacher and co-founder of Love Supreme Projects has dedicated the past few decades to sharing the transformational power of yoga with people from all walks of life, guiding them in the journey of reconnecting with themselves and finding the ‘Path of the Heart.’ We’re so lucky to call the London-based teacher and mentor a close friend of ISSIMO, and it’s always a joy to hear her insights and reflections on how yoga can help us be more mindful, fulfilled and connected humans.
‘Getting back in touch with the spirit’ – Manizeh’s calling to yoga
Let’s backtrack a few years, when Manizeh met our Creative Director and CEO Marie-Louise Sciò when they were both eighteen year-old students at neighbouring universities in Rhode Island, USA. “It was love at first sight,” says Manizeh. They instantly connected and have shared a close, joy-filled friendship ever since. Even during these early years at university, Manizeh reflects on looking for something she calls the ‘Path of the Heart’ – a sense of inner fulfilment and spirituality that wasn’t necessarily connected to religion or anything in the ‘external world’.
“Despite pursuing a career in technology I knew it wasn’t my true calling. When I discovered yoga it reconnected me to my body. I was in a lot of physical pain at the time due to working and sitting much, and I feel like this was a doorway that led me to yoga, which I soon realised was a spiritual practice, not just a physical one. Yoga helps you remember who you really are, and it helps you get back in touch with your spirit,” she says.
Yoga and pursuing the ‘Path of the Heart’
The more Manizeh practised yoga and experienced its holistic benefits, the more certain she was that she had found her ‘Dharma’; a way of being that is in complete alignment with life and the universe – essentially, the ‘Path of the Heart.’ She quit her tech job and devoted her energy and focus to being a full-time student. Humbled by the extent to which yoga expanded her self-awareness, Manizeh felt compelled to share her yoga experiences with others, believing the practice could help them transform their lives in the same way it did hers.
Manzieh has led classes, residencies and special yoga experiences all over the world, and she was the first to bring the Jivamukti Yoga method to London which she has built up for more than ten years now. In that time, she has gained an extensive community of students, friends and supporters whose lives have also been transformed through her guidance and commitment to helping people reconnect with their innate wisdom.
“I think in general people are looking for tools to live a life that is fulfilling, joyful and purposeful. You need tools to do that, and yoga provides tools to cope with life's ups and downs and to cope with whatever comes at you,” she says.
Redefining ‘wellbeing’ at Hotel Il Pellicano
“I think ‘wellbeing’ is about having space to ‘be’, and having some stillness for yourself. That’s how I feel when I’m at Hotel Il Pellicano ,” Manizeh says about one of her ‘special places’ that brings her a sense of inner peace. We were lucky to have her visit a few years ago and lead some special classes on our deck overlooking the ocean. It’s a morning we’re still talking about today! “Teaching on that deck overlooking the sea, with that big cliff behind you, felt super powerful for me. I feel like The Pelli gives you space; I never feel overwhelmed there. You’re in this incredibly beautiful environment, and you're kind of left alone but also tended to at the same time. It's pretty magical to feel looked after but also left to have your own space,” she shares.
Love Supreme Projects
“The heart is the doorway to your spirit, and when it's open you can literally walk through it, and reconnect who you really are. This is what Love Supreme Projects is really all about,” says Manizeh about the yoga community she has created based in West London. It’s a place where people of all ages and backgrounds can unite to practise yoga, meditate, chant, and share joy during weekly classes and workshops.
Manizeh describes Love Supreme Projects as a “spiritual, beautiful and vibrant” community that celebrates the power of yoga to connect us on a deeply human level, transcending things like race, age or social backgrounds. She started exploring the concept during the pandemic, which she saw as a time of global vulnerability when people were more in touch with their hearts. It quickly evolved into both a physical and digital community who gather to participate in shared experiences including singing meditation, chanting to live music and grounding ceremonies.
With Chai on tap, international guest teachers, musicians and mentors, and weekly classes that are live-streamed for an extended global community, Love Supreme Projects is all about joy-filled experiences that empower people to “crack open their hearts” and reconnect with others, and their authentic selves.
Manizeh’s tips for ‘tapping into the heart’
Yoga is for everyone, and you don’t need to have studied it for years to feel its benefits on the mind, body and spirit. Manizeh offers some tips on how we can incorporate simple yoga practices into our daily lives to help us be more connected to ourselves.
– Start the day feeling grounded. When you get out of bed in the morning, put your feet on the ground, and feel the ground beneath you. Pause for 20 seconds, close your eyes and remind yourself you want to commit to being present for all the different moments in your day. The great ones, and those that might not be as great.
– I chant mantra throughout the day which helps me cut through the ‘noise’ of my mind. Mantra is the repetition of words that force the mind to be quiet and unlock the heart, and you can have any mantra you like. I chant when I’m in the car, in the shower, or doing my laundry. It takes you out of whatever is on your mind and puts you back into the heart.
– Any environment when you’re surrounded by trees or near the ocean will help you connect with yourself. Try to spend more time in these places that help you find a sense of stillness and peace within.
– Sitting meditation is very difficult, but singing meditation (chanting mantras on repeat to melodies) is a much easier and joyful path to meditation. It cuts directly through the mind and can give you the added benefit of cracking your heart open. This is also why most people cry when they chant—it’s an incredibly healthy release
– Every day you should find the time to be still and remind yourself that you have all the innate wisdom with you, and you don’t have to look for it outside yourself. You just have to get still enough with yourself to get in touch with it, because that is the ‘Path of the Heart’.
