Sonja Appel BA Classical Theater, MA Contemporary Dance

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Leader of Sushumna Yoga School Expert

Sonja Appel Quick Facts

Main Areas: Sushumna Vinyasa Flow, Asthanga, Hatha Yoga
Career Focus: Yoga Instructor
Affiliation: Sushumna Yoga Goa
Sonja Appel is the founder of Sushumna Yoga School & Studios (RYS 200) in Goa, India. She was originally born in Zimbabwe, and lived there up until the age of 18. She then went to university in London and stayed in England for 20 years. She started practicing yoga fifteen years ago and has twelve intensive years of experience teaching Yoga and twenty five years experience of teaching Pilates in London, India and Nepal. She is certified by the British School of Yoga, in Hatha and Meditation and is a certified Vibrant Living Teacher (Hatha Flow). She is also registered with Yoga Alliance, E-RYT 200 (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, with Yoga Alliance for 200+ hours of Teacher Training.) Around 2003 she was studying with her guruji in Mysore, Shri K Pattabhi Jois and felt that she wanted to make India her permanent home. So she moved to India in 2005, stayed and worked in New Delhi and moved to Goa in 2008. "I believe in a holistic approach to the study of yoga, giving my students a well-rounded yoga education. I combine alignment techniques of the body, with breath techniques for calming and balancing the mind. Focus and visualization, to balance body and brain. Chanting and music for inspiration and concentration and also Meditation, (the ultimate reason for the practice of asana). I also believe that it is not progression through the 6 series' of Ashtanga that defines Wholeness, but rather a wider focus on all the limbs." Sonja keeps up with a daily Mysore self-practice as taught to her by the late Guruji, Sri K Pattabhi Jois and her own brand of Vinyasa flow. Sonja's Teachers are from all over the world and have greatly helped and influenced her, they are: Sharat Rangaswamy,Saraswati Rangaswamy, Shri Sheshadri, Cathy Louise Broda, Leela Miller, John Scott, Michael Gannon, Edward Clarke, David Swenson, Claire Best, Anna Ashby, Daniel Aaron, Simon Borg Olivier, Rolf & Marci Naujokat, Emil Wendel (yoga philosophy), Yat Malmgren (movement psychology), Mercia Hetherington (Pilates & Ballet) and Imogen Claire (Ballet). She has a B.A. in Classical Theatre and Acting and an M.A. in Contemporary Dance. She comes from a professional performing arts background and has found these two disciplines to be invaluable in balancing and maintaining calmness in her life. She also conducts workshops in Ashtanga, Sushumna Vinyasa Flow, Restorative Yoga, Mysore self-practice, Ashtanga Vinyasa Flow & Pranayama & Meditation, in India & Internationally.