welcome

What is viniyoga // About the lineage // About the studio // About Briana

//about
the studio

Established in 2013 in the California Delta, True Nature began as Yoga Therapy, Art as Therapy, Small Group Classes, and Mentoring in the Viniyoga tradition.
We began practicing Marriage & Family Therapy in 2018, in Napa since 2021.
True Nature Healing Arts is the merging of our Western and Yoga Therapy Practices.
And we've moved! Find us now at the old Tannery, on the Napa River, a hop skip from Downtown Napa.
Website update in progress

what is viniyoga?

Viniyoga is a term given by T. Krisnamacharya to his son, TKV Desikachar, to name an orientation to practice that is adapted to the
unique interests and needs of the individual, and progresses toward a clear goal, over time.

A Sanskrit word, Viniyoga translates to “appropriate application”.
A wise teacher in the tradition once shared, Yoga can be a like a
life raft, bringing us back to level in a time of trouble; or, yoga can be a catapault, launching you toward transformation and your most
authentic self, once the base is stable. Viniyoga has tools for both.

//about
the lineage

Passed down through the lineage of T Krishnamacharya and his son, TKV Desikachar, Viniyoga is a comprehensive transmission of authentic teachings of Yoga.

Krisnamacharya studied and lived with Rāmamohana Brahmacāri , a 19th Century yogi, in a cave near Muktinatha, Nepal. These teachings have been passed from teacher to student, dating back to a time before records, in an oral tradition. The mentor relationship remains an important part of the Viniyoga lineage.

Often called "the Father of Modern Yoga", other notable and influential personal students of T. Krisnamacharya include BKS Iyengar, Patthabi Jois, and Indra Devi.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, The Vedas, The Upanishads, The Bhagavad Gita, and Hatha Yoga Pradipika are some of the texts from which the Viniyoga lineage is rooted.

You can learn
more about
T. Krisnamacharya,
his work and this
lineage here.

We work with clients both in-person and remotely.

//About Briana

True Nature small group classes and private sessions are led by Briana Soladay.

Practicing as a Therapist, I hold a Master's in Counseling Psychology (MFT & LPCC) and am licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist, but I practiced and was certified first by the International Association of Yoga Therapists, A link in the chain of the authentic transmission of yoga, I practice and teach in the lineage of T. Krishnamacharya and T.K.V. Desikachar, known as Viniyoga. A personal student of Chase Bossart and Gary Kraftsow, I've also studied in the lineage with Dolphi Wertenbaker, Amy Wheeler, Dawn Summers, and Leslie Kaminoff.

In addition to therapy and teaching, my professional background includes working as a conceptual artist. The root of these three callings is one and the same: cultivating the space to have a moment of perspective- to stop, take a breath, feel the feet on the ground and become aware- these moments bring us into connection with ourselves and others, and I've devoted my life's work to that.