Mornings at the Museum

15 July 2019

What kind of person gets up early in the morning to go to a museum? It can only be a hardcore museumgoer – or a yoga student.

Spilne Art has recently launched a monthly event at the National Art Museum of Ukraine conducted by yoga teacher Daria Samoilova, whose relaxing sessions are interspersed with moments of meditation. Morning yoga classes have become a regular thing at similar institutions abroad, such as New York’s Brooklyn Museum. But this is the first time that this kind of event has been held in a Kyiv museum.

My fellow students – 30 people in total – included a chef from a healthy restaurant, a TV star, and a glossy magazine journalist. After the class, the yogis had a rare opportunity to view and discuss two paintings from the archival collection, never previously displayed to the public. This was followed by a zen-like tea ceremony and light snacks on the museum’s front steps.

The next instalment of yoga at the museum will take place in August.