Biography

Madina Tanekeyeva has commenced her yoga journey by taking classes at Yoga Garden in Amsterdam, and soon after has traveled to India to study at the very source. She was lucky enough to practice under the guidance of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and V. Sheshadri in Mysore. In 2006 she has successfully completed a yoga teacher training.

Thereafter Madina started teaching ashtanga vinyasa classes and workshops at Karunika studios in Amsterdam under Yogamandala project. In 2010 together with Claudia Pradella she has founded Astanga Yoga School Amsterdam (AYSA), the first ashtanga dedicated yoga school in the Netherlands. AYSA offered regular Mysore classes, workshops as well as seminars with guest teachers like Govinda Kai, Michael Hamilton, Radha & Pierre etc. Madina has paid regular annual visits to Kazakhstan to organize and lead many workshops in Almaty, her home town, working closely with "Asfadel" yoga studios.

In 2011 and 2012 in collaboration with Wendy Manders, Madina has co-organized a Yoga Holiday / Retreat in the Netherlands. In the same year she has been teaching yoga to a female youth volleyball team in Amsterdam. Meanwhile she continued teaching yoga related workshops in yoga studios (YogaMaya, Pure Silence, Yoga Sucasa etc.) in the Netherlands.

After a short stop-over in London where she taught yoga classes at Chalkhill Community Centre and covered for various teachers, she moved to Australia, Sydney. From November 2012 she will be teaching ashtanga led classes at a donation-based yoga studio, Barefoot Yoga.

Madina's main teachers and inspiration are Nancy Gilgoff, Rolf & Marci and Eileen Gauthier. They have influenced her teaching and practice greatly, she is deeply thankful for the light and knowledge they are spreading around.

Believing in the fact that we have a whole life to practice yoga, Madina cares about making this journey joyful and painless, based on energy and breath awareness, correct alignment and diligence. Trusting that any person can practice yoga regularly, she believes that everyone can experience its amazing transforming force and be happy, healthy and strong.

Yogamandala is the outcome of her aspiration to continue teaching yoga and let others experience its benefits.