In your first Envision Yoga session you will settle your nervous system with breath, focus on one affirmation, move through gentle yoga while calming left-right audio plays, and close in stillness. That is the whole shape of it. You do not need yoga experience, you do not need to be flexible, and you do not need to be spiritual. A single session is called an Envisioning, it runs about an hour, and I am going to walk you through it honestly so nothing about the first one is a surprise. I am Leah Davis, and I teach these.
You settle in and we begin by slowing down. The first few minutes are guided breath and grounding, nothing complicated, you just listen and follow. The point is to steady your body so your mind stops sprinting. When your physiology calms, your brain gets more receptive, which is the state the rest of the session is built on. There is no test here and no way to do it wrong. You show up and you breathe. If you want to understand why this order matters before you come, here is how Envision Yoga works.
Each session centers on one clear statement, something like "I am safe," "I trust myself," or "I deserve success." You hear it, sit with it, and start to repeat it. Sometimes it feels natural. Sometimes it brings up a little resistance, a quiet "yeah, right." Both are fine, and honestly the resistance is useful information. This is not about forcing yourself to feel positive. It is about giving your nervous system one direction to build toward, and then practicing that direction in your body rather than just in your head.
It sounds like audio moving from your left side to your right and back, building slowly and then easing off. That alternating rhythm settles the brain into a calm, REM-like state where it is easier to take in something new. It is bilateral stimulation, the same mechanism inside EMDR therapy, though Envision Yoga is not EMDR and not therapy. Most people find it soothing and a little hypnotic, though it is not hypnosis. You can read the fuller science on the where this comes from page. Your only job is to let it play and keep moving.
The yoga is accessible and slow, and the postures matter less than what you do inside them. As you move, you picture the version of you who already lives the affirmation. How they handle stress. How they make a decision. How they carry themselves into a room. You repeat the affirmation silently or out loud while you move. Some people feel emotional, some feel steady and strong, some feel unexpectedly focused. There is no correct reaction. You are not performing. You are rehearsing being someone, and the body remembers rehearsals.
It closes in stillness. After the yoga, you come to rest and let everything settle. This quiet part is where a lot of people first notice the shift, a kind of calm that feels less effortful than usual. You do not have to report anything or perform any insight. You just let it land, and then you go back to your day carrying it.
Most people leave calmer, clearer, and a little less reactive than they came in. Students most often describe feeling steadier and more themselves. I keep what they say verbatim, every one of them, on the testimonials page, and I never paraphrase a word of it. The honest part is that one session tends to feel good and the baseline shift comes from repetition. One hour a week, kept up, is what turns a nice feeling into a habit. If you want the bigger frame first, here is what Envision Yoga is.
Yes, first sessions can happen over Zoom, and the only real requirement is stereo headphones or earbuds. The whole method depends on audio alternating between your left and right ears, so a single laptop speaker will not carry it. It takes about ten seconds to make sure your setup is right at the stereo check. Beyond that, a quiet room and a willingness to try is all you need.
The easiest first step is a weekly class. I teach Wednesdays at 7:30pm in Echo Park (Light and Space Yoga), with sign-up on the classes page. If you would rather start one-on-one, there are private sessions in Los Angeles or over Zoom. Come as you are, no experience needed.
Do I need yoga experience for my first session? No. The postures are gentle and accessible, and the focus is the affirmation and visualization practice, not how deep your stretch goes. First-timers are welcome in every class.
What should I wear or bring? Comfortable clothes you can move in. For a weekly class at a studio, come ready to practice. For a private session, I will tell you what you need ahead of time.
Is a first session emotional? It can be, and that is normal. Some people feel emotional, others feel calm or focused. There is no reaction you are supposed to have.
Can my first session be over Zoom? Yes. You will need stereo headphones or earbuds so the left-right audio alternates. Test your setup in about ten seconds at the stereo check page.
Is this therapy? No. Envision Yoga is a mental fitness method, not treatment, and it does not ask you to process the past. If you are working through trauma, a licensed therapist is the right first call.
Envision Yoga is a neuroscience-backed mental fitness method in Los Angeles, created by Leah Davis, E-RYT 500. It is not therapy and not a substitute for it. Questions? Read the FAQs or book a 15-minute intro call.
Reading about it only gets you so far. A private session is 60 minutes, built around one thing you want to change, at my studio in Los Angeles or over Zoom anywhere in the US.
Want to talk first? Book a free 15-minute call. In LA? Come to the Wednesday class.