From Student to Teacher: Paulo Vieira
A story of personal transformation through Yoga. How the BeYoga training gave rise to the UNO Yoga & Breathwork project in Lisbon.
My name is Paulo Vieira. I am Cape Verdean and Portuguese, born in Lisbon. My education includes a degree in Community Development and Mental Health, a master’s in Migration and a postgraduate qualification in Project Management and Evaluation. I currently work as a consultant and manager of social-impact initiatives.
Paulo Vieira, social consultant, Yoga teacher and founder of UNO Yoga & Breathwork.
A life connected to transformation
My life has been marked by a strong connection to working with people, communities and processes of transformation. I have moved between community development, education, social-project management and civic activism, searching for more conscious ways of being in the world.
I eventually found a clear anchor point in Yoga.
Yoga entered my life about ten years ago as a self-care practice. At first, it was above all a safe space, a place where I could observe myself without judgement, recognise limits, accept vulnerabilities and, above all, cultivate presence.
The Yoga Sutras, the yamas and niyamas and concepts like ahimsa, satya or aparigraha began to echo beyond the practice room. They stopped being abstract ideas and became concrete tools for living more truthfully.
What Yoga taught me
The teachers I had the privilege of practising with introduced me to different approaches and showed me how practice extends into the way we live day to day.
To be humble, to listen and to accept that we are different from one day to the next.
Discipline is not rigidity: it is commitment.
Effort doesn’t exclude self-compassion.
Yoga inspires an ethic of care for myself and for others.
BeYoga YTT 200h certification, recognised by Yoga Alliance.
BeYoga came at the right moment
The in-person weekends allowed real deep dives into practice, study and self-knowledge. One of the most striking aspects of this training was the strong sense of belonging to a community.
Over the course, bonds formed that went beyond the classroom: a space of sharing, support and mutual growth that I consider central to any path of transformation.
Today, as a teacher, I see in Yoga an opportunity to share the wellbeing I have been building over the years. In a fast-paced life, teaching Yoga is often about creating space where it’s missing: space to breathe, to feel and to be present.
The birth of UNO Yoga & Breathwork
Paulo practising — the BeYoga training as the starting point for UNO.
I ran interviews, questionnaires and pilot sessions to understand real needs and where I could truly contribute. The answers were clear: a demand for accessible Yoga and breathwork practices, simple content, safe environments, and a desire to bring wellbeing into daily routines without pressure.
From that vision, UNO Yoga & Breathwork was born — a personal entrepreneurial project and, at the same time, a commitment to a simpler and more human way of being. The practices are for those who want to reduce stress, reconnect with the body, gain emotional balance and build self-care routines that last.
Find out more: uno-yogaebreathwork.softr.app · info.unoyoga@gmail.com
About the BeYoga Yoga teacher training
What led Paulo Vieira to take the Yoga teacher training?
Paulo had been practising Yoga for about ten years when he decided to deepen his knowledge with the BeYoga training. What began as self-care gradually became a vocation: teaching Yoga as a way to create space for those living at a fast pace.
What is UNO Yoga & Breathwork?
UNO Yoga & Breathwork is a project created by Paulo Vieira after the BeYoga training. It offers accessible Yoga and conscious-breathing practices to reduce stress and build sustainable wellbeing routines. More information at uno-yogaebreathwork.softr.app.
Is the BeYoga training recognised internationally?
Yes. The BeYoga YTT 200h training is recognised by Yoga Alliance (RYS 200) and certified by DGERT and IPDJ in Portugal, allowing you to obtain the RYT 200 title, recognised worldwide.
Where do the BeYoga trainings take place?
In Lisbon (Bambú studio), Porto (YogArte) and online, with intensive in-person weekends over 8 months. The 2026 cohorts begin in September.
Can you do the training without wanting to teach?
Yes. Paulo Vieira himself started with no intention of teaching. Many BeYoga trainees take the training to deepen their personal practice. The transformation happens naturally.
Train with intention.
The most complete Yoga teacher training in Portugal. Certified by Yoga Alliance, DGERT and IPDJ. Cohorts in Lisbon, Porto and Online.
