Intuitive living means listening to your inner wisdom in everything you do: how you move, what you eat, how you rest and how you treat others. In this interview from November 2021, Viviana Monolo, intuitive yoga teacher, artist and founder of Intuitiv Studio, explains how she found intuitive movement as a ballet dancer, why mindful living creates the space for intuition, and where she draws the line between intuitive and mindful eating. Her answers are printed in her own words.
Key takeaways from the interview
- For Viviana, intuition is our natural state: it does not need work, it needs room to express itself.
- Intuition speaks through feelings; a sense of inner rightness is a sign that you are in alignment.
- Mindful living is purposeful: it creates the time, space and environment in which intuition can be heard.
- Intuitive eating means listening to your body and internal cues; mindful eating adds learning what is good for you, especially in stressful times.
- Her mantra for intuitive yoga: "Close your eyes, trust yourself, let your body move."
- Her daily basics: intuitive movement, mindfulness, creativity, journaling, healthy food and plenty of water.
What is intuitive living?
Intuitive living is a way of making everyday choices from inner awareness rather than from outside rules: noticing how your body and emotions respond, and letting that guide how you move, eat, work and rest. Our body, our mind and what we eat all play a part. We all want to live more mindfully, in a way that feels more innate and free; we just need to know where to start. In this interview with Viviana Monolo, founder of Intuitiv Studio, we explored the art of living a more mindful, intuitive life.
Viviana Monolo's story: from ballet to intuitive yoga
Q: Viviana, I would like to start with your story. You have been an integral member of our health and wellness community since April, so I am sure everyone knows you already, yet we are all curious to hear about your story as an artist and an intuitive teacher of yoga. Where did it all begin?
Born with a strong curiosity for the body and its movement, my discovery of Yoga began when I was a Ballet Dancer. It is there, through the walls of a theatre, that I realised my mind was dancing in spaces that were not confined. Growing up, I felt a deep attraction towards every type of movement and art that go beyond the physical practice.
Yoga helped me stay in the present, gain inner strength and take with both hands the reins of my life. I consider my practice, “Intuitive Flows”, as the external expression of what I’m feeling inside.
My solo journey In India was a rebirth— the start of something new, the start of a life committed to sharing my learnings, rituals, practices and everything I have collected along the way.
What is intuitive yoga?
Q: Tell us more about the Intuitive Studio and your courses.
INTUITIV.STUDIO is a digital holistic residency— a safe creative space to explore yoga on and off the mat. A community of people putting themselves out there to reset, rediscover, reinvent themselves.
Many of us are seeking to move in a way that feels intuitive and free. Freedom and trust in our yoga practice can extend to other areas of life, allowing us to feel equally in control as well as radically accept all that we are not in control of.
Honoring our bodies is one of the greatest gifts that we can offer ourselves. But I’m often asked HOW? How do you practice this way?
My Intuitive Yoga Flows will allow you to start a journey with yourself. With time, you will tap more and more into your feelings and emotions, you will learn to listen to your body, mind and soul.
CLOSE YOUR EYES, TRUST YOURSELF, LET YOUR BODY MOVE – is my mantra.
Each time you are on your mat is a new expression of your practice and therefore yourself. Let each practice be a fresh start to reset, rediscover, reinvent.
How do mindful living and intuitive living relate?
Q: What does mindful living mean to you, and how does it relate to intuitive living?
intuition is your natural state; therefore, you do not need to work at it, but rather allow it to express itself through you as You.
Intuition expresses itself through feelings— the language of the soul. By paying attention to how you feel, you become aware of your deeper Self and its guidance. If what you are doing or considering feels good, gives you a sense of inner rightness, chances are you are in alignment with your soul.
Mindful living is to me something you create with purpose. It is difficult to tap into our intuition at times— mindful living is an effortless yet purposeful way to create an environment for you to thrive physically, mentally and emotionally, and get closer and closer to connect to your intuition. It’s about having the strength of mind to encourage and support wellness and then to master it, creating the time, space and right opportunities for yourself.
Intuitive eating vs mindful eating
Q: Where do you draw the line between mindful eating and intuitive eating? The two can seem contradictory to some people.
Once you start eating intuitively, you start to learn what it means to listen to your body, your gut, and your internal cues. This is really just listening to your intuition, and it’s a huge part of intuitive eating!
However, we often times lose this connection to our inner self, we often times cannot hear the voice of our intuition because we are confused by the other ones in ourselves— especially during times of stress, or emotionally difficult periods. Intuitive eating is not as easy as it sounds. This is why mindful eating comes into place, listening what the body says but at the same time learning, discovering, knowing what is good for you.
Some background: "intuitive eating" was described by the dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in 1995 as an approach that rejects dieting rules and relies on hunger, fullness and satisfaction cues. Mindful eating comes from mindfulness practice and focuses on paying full attention to the meal. How food and mood interact is the topic of our article food for mood, and a holistic approach to mental wellness looks at sleep, movement and nutrients for the mind.
Viviana's daily wellbeing routine
Q: What does wellbeing with a good impact mean to you? What do you do daily to maintain your wellbeing?
My wellbeing is my priority, my biggest desire in life is of being happy and healthy. I try to practice some intuitive movement daily, be mindful, be creative, journal, nourish myself from the inside with healthy food, I take supplements for my energy and for my skin, I try to drink loads of water and try to wake up and go to sleep with a smile on my face
Q: To make the planet feel good, what values would you like to see spread?
Empathy, mindfulness, consciousness, altruism, environmentalism.
Her experience with Daily Essential Women
Q: How do you like Sanbera Essential Women? What has been your experience so far?
I’ve been taking it for quite a long time now and I’m honestly happy with it. Sometimes I look at my agenda at the end of the day, and ask myself “how am I not tired after all of this?”. Honestly such a blessing to feel healthy, happy and energized most of the time.
Q: With the end of the year approaching, would you recommend Sanbera as a gift of wellbeing?
Absolutely. Cannot stress it enough: investing in your health is the best gift you could give yourself or others. We shouldn’t take it for granted.
For context: Daily Essential Women is taken as three tablets a day after breakfast, brunch or lunch and provides 12 vitamins and 6 minerals, including iron 7 mg (50 % NRV), vitamin B12 1.88 µg (75 % NRV) and folic acid 150 µg (75 % NRV). Iron, vitamin B12 and folate contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Individual experiences differ, and a supplement does not replace a varied, balanced diet.
Taking care of yourself in the cold months
Q: How has winter affected your wellbeing and beauty routine? Do you have any tips for our readers on how to take care of themselves during the cold?
Well, to be honest, I’m a bit sick while answering to this interview. In the last period, I have changed country, home, job, weather condition! So, let’s say my body is a bit overwhelmed. I’m finding comfort in warm chai lattes or ginger teas, slow juicy yoga practices, the Reload formula of Sanbera for a good night sleep, cbd oil to relax my mind before meditation, a lot of smudging and earthy seasonal foods.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote or poem that inspires you these days?
I’m not interested in how people move, I’m interested in what makes people move. – Pina Bausch
Read more conversations from our community: Lagree and Barre coach Kirsten Haglund on wellbeing with a good impact, and personal coach Olivia on wellness with intention.
Frequently asked questions
What is intuitive living?
Intuitive living means making everyday choices from inner awareness rather than from outside rules: paying attention to how your body and emotions respond, and letting that guide how you move, eat, work and rest. For Viviana Monolo, intuition is our natural state; it does not need to be worked at, only given the space to express itself.
How do you start living more intuitively?
Viviana suggests starting with mindful living: purposefully creating the time, space and environment in which you can notice how you feel. Paying attention to your feelings, and to whether a choice gives you a sense of inner rightness, is how intuition becomes audible. Intuitive movement, journaling and creativity are part of her own daily practice.
What is intuitive yoga?
In Viviana's practice, intuitive yoga means moving the way your body asks to move rather than following a fixed sequence. Her "Intuitive Flows" are the external expression of what she feels inside, and her mantra is: close your eyes, trust yourself, let your body move. Over time, she says, you learn to listen to body, mind and soul.
What is the difference between intuitive eating and mindful eating?
Intuitive eating means listening to your body, your gut and your internal cues such as hunger and fullness. Mindful eating adds conscious attention and learning what is good for you. Viviana sees them as complementary: in times of stress, the voice of intuition is harder to hear, so mindful eating helps you reconnect with it.
Who is Viviana Monolo?
Viviana Monolo is an intuitive yoga teacher, artist and the founder of Intuitiv Studio, which she describes as a digital holistic residency for exploring yoga on and off the mat. She discovered yoga as a ballet dancer, and a solo journey to India marked the start of her life sharing the rituals and practices she has collected.
This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.