25 Years of Bodynova: How It All Began
We're celebrating 25 years of Bodynova! To mark our anniversary, we spoke with our founder Holger Ebenau about the beginnings of Bodynova, his time in India, and his initial experiences with yoga. We learned what India and his yoga practice have taught him about life.
25 years of Bodynova - that's a long time. Could you tell us a little about how it all started?
Well, it actually started with massage tables. In the early 90s, I was doing bodywork and teaching it too: deep tissue massage, rebalancing, Ayurvedic massage... Back then, there weren't really good massage tables available in Germany. I had just returned from India and wanted to establish myself here again. A friend I knew from India was importing massage tables from the USA and selling them here. He was doing it on a small scale, mostly for friends and acquaintances. In 1996, he asked me if I wanted to join, and I knew immediately: This is a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity.
And that's how Bodynova was born?
Exactly. We then founded Bodynova GmbH. We were the first ones selling high-quality massage tables from the USA - tables made from durable materials that last a long time. Over time, this evolved into a mail-order business for practice supplies. My business partner exited in 2004. Since then, I've been solely responsible.
Bodynova is now known more for yoga supplies. When did yoga come into the picture?
Yoga came much later. Initially, it was all about massage tables because good massage tables were needed for bodywork. Hence the name, Bodynova. In 2010, a supplier of ours who wanted to sell his company and the brand "bodhi" approached me - a brand for yoga mats and meditation cushions. It was the right opportunity at the right time, and it resonated with me since I practiced yoga myself.
So, how did you actually get into yoga?
Before I started yoga, I began with meditation. In the 80s, I lived in a commune in Cologne. It was the largest commune in Europe at the time. We were over 400 people and rented many apartments in the Belgian Quarter of downtown Cologne. In the commune, we worked a lot and ran various businesses, discos, a restaurant, and a meditation center. But we also meditated daily. By the mid-80s, the commune experiment came to an end. Some of us continued with individual businesses, while others left. At that time, I didn't want to commit fully and preferred to travel - to India.
When did you first travel to India then?
I first flew to India in 1987. After that first trip, I was so impressed with the country that I flew back six months later and spent seven years there. During the summers, I would come back to Germany for a few months to earn money. But I always wanted to return to India as quickly as possible.
What exactly did you do in India?
There was a commune in Pune. It was like a huge experimental field. There were all sorts of self-exploration groups, therapy, and bodywork. I offered Ayurvedic massages and Thai yoga massages there and also led courses and training. And everyone meditated daily. That was the common thread that ran through everything and kept us together. Many methods were further developed or completely reinvented there. And much of what was new back then is now used everywhere and has become part of common language.
Where did you live there?
I lived on a large property that we had rented with 20 people. The grounds consisted of two colonial-era houses and a large, unused plot of land. We transformed it into a green oasis and planted 500 fruit trees over time. For me, it was the perfect form of communal living: Everyone had their own space, 3-4 people shared a bathroom and a kitchen. You could be alone if you wanted, but if you craved company, there was always something social happening. Tea was served somewhere in the afternoon, we threw parties in the garden, and cooked together... That's how I'd like to live again someday.
And even though it was so wonderful, you eventually came back to Germany. Why?
It came the point where I simply wanted to create something. In my head, there's this image that after years of meditating, so much energy had built up that it needed an outlet. I also realized that I didn't want to make India my permanent home. I then dissolved and sold everything in India and returned to Germany without really having a plan.
They say about India: Either you hate it, or you love it. What fascinates you so much about India?
I believe India reflects a lot back to you. If you say 'yes' and let go, small miracles happen, and the country is incredibly kind to you. If you say 'no' and resist, you'll receive that in return and feel strong resistance. It's similar in yoga, too: If you hold a pose for a long time and stay with it, it's not always comfortable. But if you say 'yes' and simply stay with what is, you discover something new. In India, you learn to accept things and not wish them to be different than they are right now. Once you've had this experience, you can find it more quickly in everyday life too. It creates a trust in life - that's India to me. And of course, delicious food - simple as that. I enjoy cooking Indian dishes here and today as well. I've probably lived there in another life.
What was your most beautiful experience in India?
There are many. But one situation stands out in my memory: Once, I took a train from Goa to Pune in the evening. The train was already packed, and then two boys got on, beggars, and started singing songs from Bollywood movies. The sun was just setting, and the whole train car, with people who didn't know each other, celebrated together. Of course, the boys weren't allowed there, and when the conductor came, the passengers simply hid the two under a bench, showed their tickets obediently, and when the conductor was gone, the party continued. It was truly a dreamlike beautiful event. You experience such small things quickly in India.
When did you actually do yoga for the first time?
In Pune, there was an Iyengar teacher, an American, who offered Iyengar Yoga on the roof of a building every morning at 8 o'clock. I was enthusiastic from the very first class. At the time, I was engaged in bodywork every day, and the typical use of props and precise alignment in Iyengar yoga was a wonderful addition, almost a revelation for me. It was a way to work on and with myself. I then bought the book "Light on Yoga" and practiced and explored on my own in the afternoons.
And that's when your love for yoga ignited?
Yes, from then on, the passion for yoga never left me. Where I lived, there was a sort of platform in a garden - the remains of a collapsed building. After they cleared away the walls, an even surface emerged amidst the greenery. I practiced yoga there daily. I did that for a very long time and very regularly..
What would you say is your favorite style of yoga today?
I still enjoy practicing Iyengar Yoga today. I appreciate the style for its precision, the bodywork aspect, and because the entire spectrum of asanas is practiced. In Iyengar Yoga, you learn alignment from the inside out. You learn the positions from the ground up and can then practice other styles without hurting yourself. But I also like the flow in Vinyasa Yoga and regularly attend Hot Yoga classes. The combination of heat and exercises is fantastic for the physical body. The classic Hot Yoga sequence is also very well-designed: The exercises build on each other, and you practically strengthen, compress, and stretch every muscle in your body. And because you do the same exercises all the time, you can observe progress and changes well and keep discovering new things.
What would you say yoga gives you?
There's so much! Yoga gives me a lot of strength and helps me be and stay healthy. Furthermore, yoga cultivates a calmness and serenity within me that permeates my daily life. In Hot Yoga, if you don't breathe calmly in the heat, you'll eventually collapse. Vinyasa Yoga also teaches steady and calm breathing. The more you practice that, the more you carry it into daily life. When you're under stress, when things aren't going well, when you're physically exhausted - you can always calmly inhale and exhale, and then everything becomes much more acceptable.
What do you think, how will yoga continue to evolve?
Perhaps the big boom is over, where every year a few million more people start practicing yoga. But I believe the need to better understand and know oneself and one's body is enormous. Especially in times of crisis, when everything is falling apart outside, there's only one anchor: You have to be at peace with yourself and rest within. And it looks to me like the chaos in the world will only increase. Therefore, I believe the trend is unbroken. We see that in our yoga studio in Cologne as well: New people interested in yoga keep coming, including older people and more men than before.
Do you think everyone should do yoga?
I'm not sure if it's right for everyone. I often think that yoga should be taught in schools. If we teach alignment and healthy posture to young people, maybe they'll navigate life with more strength, confidence, calmness, and serenity. But yoga shouldn't become a competition. This is hard for us in the West to understand because our whole culture is oriented that way. Many, especially young people, approach yoga like any other sport: higher, faster, farther. The paradox is really exerting and challenging yourself without being goal-oriented. In yoga, the journey is the destination. I love this journey and hope many more will be enthusiastic about it.
The Author
Shirani is a yogi with heart and soul. She teaches various yoga courses in Cologne, runs our bodhi yoga studio and also writes the texts for Bodynova. For her, this is the perfect combination, as it allows her to bring together her great passions of yoga and writing. When she is not out in nature with her dog and camper, she also loves to sing.
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