Elena De Martin

Elena first encountered Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga in 1999 through Marco Baggi, who was the first to open Ashtanga Yoga classes in Milan. Her desire to deepen this discipline led her to meet Lino Miele, her first teacher within the tradition, whom she followed for over six years in Italy and abroad, both as a student and as an assistant.

In 2000, she traveled to India for the first time, and in 2001 she arrived in Mysore, where she met Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and began studying at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute he founded. Seeking to deepen her yogic experience and reach the source of the tradition, from 2005 onward she intensified and extended her stays in Mysore, where she studied and practiced under the guidance of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, his daughter Saraswati, and his grandson R. Sharath Jois.

In 2007, Elena settled in Mysore with her son and devoted herself exclusively for over a year to an in-depth study of Ashtanga Yoga. During this period, she began studying Sanskrit, Yoga Philosophy, the Sacred Texts, and their chanting, under the guidance of Indian scholars Dr. M. A. Jayashree and Prof. M. A. Narasimhan. Her close association with these extraordinary teachers and the intense study in India represented a profoundly meaningful experience in her personal transformation and in her understanding of yoga as a deeply intrinsic value to be applied in everyday life.

Through dedication and committed practice, Elena received one of the highest recognitions from the Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore: Level 2 Authorization to teach Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.

After her sabbatical year, Elena continued to return regularly to Mysore—often several times a year—to pursue her studies under the guidance of R. Sharath Jois, the natural successor of Guruji, who passed away in 2009, and to keep alive the passion and love for yoga that has profoundly shaped her life and that she shares daily through her teaching.

Another significant moment in Elena’s yogic journey was her encounter with Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor, whom she recognizes for their rare ability to understand the yogic message and interpret it within a Western framework. She attended their Month-Long Teacher’s Intensive in 2010 and repeated the experience in 2017. She has also met Richard Freeman on several other occasions during his workshops in Europe.

In 2011, Elena hosted R. Sharath Jois in Milan for the first time, welcoming him for a week-long seminar.

In 2012, after more than a decade of teaching in shared spaces, Elena opened La Yoga Shala in Milan—a spacious center created specifically for the practice of Ashtanga Yoga and naturally vibrant with energy.

In addition to the many students who practice there daily and regard it as a “sacred temple of yoga,” over the years Elena has had the honor of hosting several prominent figures of Ashtanga Yoga, including David Swenson, Shelly Washington, Tina Pizzimenti, Eddie Stern, Susanna Finocchi, Gabriele Severini, Adam Keen, Tim Feldmann, and Dena Kingsberg, organizing their retreats in Italy.

In 2009, 2012, and 2019, Elena also organized European tours for her Indian teachers Dr. M. A. Jayashree and Prof. M. A. Narasimhan, bringing them to major Ashtanga Yoga schools across Europe to share their knowledge of the Indian tradition. Dr. Jayashree and Prof. Narasimhan have always been the guests of honor at Elena’s annual retreat in Goa.

Alongside her study of Ashtanga Yoga, in 2001 Elena began practicing Vipassana Meditation according to the teachings of S. N. Goenka, whose regular practice has contributed to deepening awareness along her yogic path.

Today, Elena teaches in Milan, leads seminars, and organizes retreats in Italy and abroad, continuing to spread—naturally and spontaneously—a message of peace and love, unity and sharing, which lies at the heart of yoga.

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