I embarked on my yoga journey back in 2005 in Mexico City, guided by a teacher rooted in the Iyengar tradition under Donna Holleman's lineage. The transformative experience of studying under Donna Holleman herself in Italy in 2008 ignited my passion for yoga and seeded a desire to explore its roots in India.

I traveled to Mysore India that same year, where I was able to discover Ashtanga yoga and further deepen my practice at the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute with Sharath Jois. Since then Ashtanga yoga has become my main practice.

Over the following years, my yoga journey led me back to India to practice with esteemed teachers like Rolf Naujokat and Sharmila Desai in Goa. In 2012, I found new inspiration studying under the guidance of Matthew and Carla Vollmer in Berlin, who not only became my teachers but also ignited my practice and life in inspiring ways.

Teaching yoga has been a natural extension of my practice since 2010, and in 2017, I established and have been leading the Ashtanga Yoga Mysore Program in Berlin Kreuzberg. To further enrich my understanding of the human body and its intricacies, I completed an advanced training in Anatomy for injuries with David Kyle. More recently, I dove into the profound practice of Pranayama through a teacher training with Eddie Stern and Robert Moses. Currently, I am undertaking a two-year mindfulness training with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach to deepen my practice and understanding of mindfulness.

To me, yoga is not just a physical practice; it is a powerful tool for cultivating awareness and fostering a deep connection with ourselves and the world around us. Each breath, each movement on the mat opens doors to self-discovery and inner peace, guiding me on a journey of exploration and growth

 

Alexandra Koken

I started practicing Mysore Style Ashtanga Yoga in 2017 in London and have been practicing with Barbara since 2019, and since 2023 I travel to India once a year to practice with my teacher Sharmila Desai. Ashtanga Yoga has brought me calmness, self-love and dedication and I am honored to share this method by assisting Barbara and starting my own teaching journey. My focus in teaching and practice is on working with effort without striving and finding softness and acceptance in the mind, heart and body.