Tava vā mama vā sadānusaraṇāt namanān mananāt prasanna-cittaḥ bhagavan vāñchitam akhilaṃ datvā kiṃ te bhūyaḥ priyam iti hasati
Your Lord or mine, it does not matter
With a quiet mind, meditate with humility
The Lord, pleased, gives what you seek
and happily offers more.

Retreats Workshops
प्रयत्नशैथिल्यानन्तसमापत्तिभ्याम् ॥ Prayatna-śaithilyānanta-samāpattibhyām
Make the asana practice effortless, focusing for the breath and surrender to the divine.

Yoga Sutra of Patanjali 2 / 47
नास्ति मायासमो पाशो नास्ति योगात्परं बलम । नास्ति ज्ञानात्परो बन्धुर्नाहंकारात्परो रिपुः ॥ nāsti māyāsamaḥ pāśo nāsti yogāt paraṃ balam nāsti jñānat paro bandhur nāhaṃkārāt paro ripuḥ
There is no bondage like illusion,
There is no power stronger than yoga,
There is no friend better than knowledge,
And there is no worse enemy than ego.
सर्वे मानवाः स्वतन्त्राः समुत्पन्नाः वर्तन्ते अपि च, गौरवदृशा अधिकारदृशा च समानाः एव वर्तन्ते। एते सर्वे चेतना-तर्क-शक्तिभ्यां सुसम्पन्नाः सन्ति। अपि च, सर्वेऽपि बन्धुत्व-भावनया परस्परं व्यवहरन्तु। Sarvē mānavāḥ svatantratāḥ samutpannāḥ vartantē api cha, gauravadr̥śā adhikāradr̥śā ca samānāḥ ēva vartantē. Ētē sarvē cētanā-tarka-śaktibhyāṁ susampannāḥ santi. Api ca, sarvē’pi bandhutva-bhāvanayā parasparaṁ vyavaharantu.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of humanity.

The Sanskrit translation for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

Petri “Rähjä” Räisänen

Petri Räisänen (born August 13, 1967) is internationally known and respected Ashtanga Yoga teacher.

Petri Räisänen (born August 13, 1967) is internationally known and respected Ashtanga Yoga teacher. Petri started practicing Ashtanga yoga in 1989 and teaching in 1991. He is co-owner and director of Ashtanga Yoga Helsinki, Finland, which he found with his friend and colleague, Juva Javanainen, in 1997. Since 2000 Petri has been teaching Ashtanga yoga internationally around the world. He got his teaching authorization from K. Pattabhi Jois and Sharath Jois in 2001. For the last 10 years he has been teaching together with his wife Wambui Njuguna-Räisänen.

Petri focuses on integrating healing and therapy with yoga, meeting student’s individual needs and guiding their progress. Petri’s yoga pose adjustments are gentle, effective, therapeutic and, according to some, almost magical, and originate (besides his own practice and teaching) from his past work as a traditional Finnish folk healer and naturopath. His friendly, relaxed behaviour and intuitive perception give an open, energetic and meditative atmosphere to his classes.

In 2005, Petri wrote “Ashtanga Yoga – The Yoga Tradition of K. Pattabhi Jois” in collaboration with K. Pattabhi Jois and his grandson, R. Sharath Jois. The book introduces the primary series (1st series) Astanga Yoga “vinyasa” method and philosophy, as well as its potential as a physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual practice. His intermediate series (2nd series) book “Nadi Sodhana” was released in 2008 and is written from the interviews with K. Pattabhi Jois and R. Sharath Jois from 2006-2007 in Mysore, India. Both books are written as part of Petri’s ongoing pilgrimage into Astanga yoga’s inner word, with a great sense of respect towards the Yoga Tradition.

About

Ashtanga Yoga

Wambui Njuguna-Räisänen

Wambui Njuguna (November 29th, 1980) is a wellness advocate and spiritual activist working at the intersection of social action and wholeness.

Born in Kenya, Wambui moved to the USA at the age of ten. She took her first yoga class when she was 16. It proved to be the therapy she needed during rigorous, professional dance training. She continued to practice different types of yoga throughout college and graduate school.

She came across Ashtanga Yoga in 2008 when she was living in Abu Dhabi. The structure and consistency of the method was the grounded discipline she needed at that time. For the past ten years, Wambui has been immersed in Ashtanga yoga and feels deeply grateful for all what the practice has brought to fruition, both in her personal and professional life.

Currently, in the wake of #metoo and the collective shift towards decolonialization, Wambui’s plans involve teaching yoga through an explicitly trauma-informed, anti-oppressive lens. BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+ communities have been the voices most silenced, and are the bodies most left out of the healing space while simultaneously being the most impacted by systemic trauma. Therefore, creating wellness spaces that feel more welcoming, inclusive and accessible is of utmost necessity and importance. Together with her massage training (Chavutti Thirumal) and meditation advocacy, Wambui strives to work at the intersection of social inclusion, equity and wellness.

Wambui was born in Nairobi, Kenya to an English-Danish mother and a Kenyan (Kikuyu) father. She was raised in the United States, has worked and lived in Chile and the United Arab Emirates and is now based in Helsinki, Finland where she lives with Petri and their two sons.

Visit her website to learn more.

About

Ashtanga Yoga