Women in Ashtanga Video Recording
Recording of Online Panel Discussion
This gathering of renowned, long-term female practitioners and teachers of Ashtanga yoga for a live online panel discussion was held on Sunday October 10th, 2021. The talk was based around issues that effect women in this practice and the aim was to discuss what it’s like for women of to practice this intense style of yoga. Through their cycles, giving birth, motherhood, peri/menopause, ageing with the anatomical differences in a style taught often by men.
Developed from positive feedback on the Keen on Yoga Podcast on the back of guests, including some on the panel, sharing their thoughts and experiences. At this point in time there is still not enough of a discourse and discussion around these topics that concern women.
To watch the recording click on the image below
Why did a male moderate Women in Ashtanga?
This was a community focused conversation, the tone will be was thoughtful and inclusive. A sharing and collective inquiry that we hope will benefit, not only to women, but, also, men, considering the large number of male teachers in our group. However, as host of the podcast and platform, Adam took a back seat role. He represented male teachers, whom are often asked questions that they are simply unable to answer from personal experience.
It makes sense to us that if we are to have a deeper understanding, an evolution and re-dressing of the established narratives that can marginalise women’s voices, men have to be also involved in the process. They are an important part of the solution.
The event was free to attend, but donations to cover the costs of the technical set up are greatly appreciated. The speakers are all donating their time for free and all proceeds over the costs incurred with the event went directly to Yoga Stops Traffick UK, who in turn pass on 100% of donations to Odanadi Seva Trust in Mysore in support of the women’s home.
Together we raised €1,075 to rescue, support and rehabilitate abused and trafficked women and children in Mysore. Thank you all for your time and financial donations.
Harmony Slater
Co-hosting with Adam Harmony is a Certified Ashtanga Yoga Teacher and Wellness Coach. She is also the host of the Finding Harmony Podcast. Harmony began practicing yoga and Buddhist meditation over two decades ago. She co-founded two Yoga Schools in Canada and has shared her experiences with the practice, pregnancy and childbirth in the books: ‘Yoga Sadhana for Mothers’ and ‘Strength and Grace: A collection of Essays by Women of Ashtanga Yoga’ and is a contributing editor for Sonima magazine.
Website: Harmony Slater
Instagram: @harmonyslateryoga
Anna Guryeva
Anna practices and teaches Ashtanga yoga in the Mysore tradition and Tibetan Buddhism in the Karma Kagyu tradition. Authorized teacher of Ashtanga Yoga. Founder and teacher of Ashtanga Yoga Shala in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. Author of the book “Space and Bliss. Yoga and Buddhism for Life in the Modern World.” Anna creates space and opportunity for openness, kindness, creativity, and friendship
Website: Yoga Shala Ru
Instagram @anna.guryeva.ashtanga
Chandana Bhowmick
Chandana began Yoga 2000 and at first it was all about asanas. In 2009 she decided to quit her corporate job to delve deeper into her yoga studies. Her calling – Ashtanga Yoga was found in 2011. She began to study with her Guruji Shri R Sharath Jois and has been under his guidance ever since. Chandana received Level II Authorization in 2016 and now runs her own Mysore program in Pune, and regularly travels to teach
Website: Chandana Bhowmick
Instagram: @chandanabhowmick
Corrie Ananda
Corrie has been practising Ashtanga yoga since 2000 and received level II authorisation from Sharath Jois, in Mysore. Her approach is inclusive and evolutionary: a collaboration with the individual, to find their unique entry point to asana. She is intrigued with the connections between the physical, psychological and emotional body and the effects on the organism as a whole. Personal and professional study includes psychotherapy, ancient yogic texts, race, identity, intersectionality and different movement systems.
Website: Corrie Ananda
Instagram: @corrieanandayoga
Helena Rosenthal
Helena discovered Ashtanga yoga at the age of 19 and has continued to practice ever since. In 2014 she was level 2 authorised by Sharath. Her Auyrveda studies begain in 2007 in Kerala. She has taught in several studios and run Mysore classes in her home town of Sao Paulo and in London. In 2018 she undertook a 200h TT with Gregor Maehle. Helena now resides in Valencia raising her baby boy and continues to practice, teach Ashtanga online. In addition making music is her greatest passion.
Website: Helena Rosenthal
Instagram: @helena_rosenthal
Isa Guitana
Owner and Director at Casa Vinyasa, Isa is an Authorized Ashtanga teacher through KPJAYI in Mysore, India and has been teaching and singing Devotional Chanting at festivals and schools around the world for over 19 years. She is mother to three beautiful children.
Website: Casa Vinyasa
Instagram: @isaguitana_casavinyasa8yoga
Kathy Cooper
Kathy began practicing Ashtanga yoga in 1976 and learned all the series from David Williams and Nancy Gilgoff on Maui, Hawaii, practicing them for the first time with Guruji for two months in 1980 during he and Ama’s trip to Hawaii. She is enjoying her practice to this day. It works for beautifully for her and she is grateful everyday for the blessing of this practice.
Website: Kathy Cooper Yoga
Instagram: @kathycooper11
Laura Miguel
Laura Miguel is an Ashtanga yoga practitioner and Ayurvedic therapist. Living in Porto Alegre, south of Brazil. She has a Mysore program in her shala and work as a therapist as well. She lived in Asia for two year where she practiced and studied with Sharath Jois. She studied Ayurveda in Brazil and did a specialization in nutrition in Pune-India.
Website: Ashtanga Yoga Porto Alegro
Instagram: @laurashtanga
Maria Boox
Maria is passionate about yoga and has been practising and teaching for over thirty years. She is in fact a pioneer as she opened one of the first yoga shalas in Sweden. Yogashala Stockholm was Maria’s home for ten years and many of the teachers in Stockholm and around Sweden have studied with and learnt from her. Maria now teaches yoga independently worldwide.
Website: Maria Boox
Instagram: @mariaboox
Mariela Cruz
Mariela is a lawyer by profession and has three masters degrees in Business Law, Family Law in Italy and Environmental Law in her country of origin, Costa Rica. She was appointed Ambassador to India from 2017-2018. Mariela found her Gurus in Mysore in 2002, in the middle of full Seventh Series and juggling with family and career.
Website:
Instagram: @marielacruzyoga
Nea Ferrier
Nea is a level 2 authorised Ashtanga yoga teacher and has been studying in Mysore regularly since 2006. She founded Ashtanga Yoga Dubai in 2013 where she teachers daily Mysore classes in the shala and online. She is passionate about helping women connect to the practice in a way that honors and supports the female body.
Website: Nea Ferrier
Instagram: @neaferrieryoga
Peg Mulqueen
Peg is the founder of Ashtanga Dispatch and author of the upcoming book, Yoga in Nature: A Field Guide to the Eight-Limbed Path. With a master’s degree in psychology, a background in education, and over two decades of yoga study, she is dedicated to making the practice of yoga welcome and accessible to all students.
Website: Ashtanga Dispatch
Instagram: @pegmulqueen
