Alexander Lemberg

My journey to becoming a yoga teacher

I’m a Swedish-speaking Finn, currently living in in a town in the south of Finland, called “Ekenäs” or “Tammisaari” in Finnish.

Around the time of 2004 I became interested in Indian culture, mainly from the perspective of Indian classical music and sitar playing, being a guitarist myself.

Later in life as a young father I started practicing yoga in the year 2013, and became a certified hatha yoga teacher in 2015 with Suvi Hakala, Sue Woodd and Julie Hansen, and managed to upgrade my certificate to E-RYT and YACEP status (Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider).

During the summer of 2016 my yoga practice changed dramatically when I found Ashtanga yoga with Petri Räisänen and Juha Javanainen during their summer retreat on the island of Houtskari in the Turku archipelago. Everything I was missing in my own practice (disciline, routine, progress, system) I found in Ashtanga yoga.

Since that summer I am practicing regularly with my teachers, and visit Helsingin Astangajoogakoulu as often as I can manage.

Teaching style

To me it’s important that the practices are taught in a safe, healthy and effective way for each student. As a yoga teacher it is important to understand that all people are different, and to embrace, or celebrate, the movement patterns of each individual.

In my teaching style you will learn to turn your senses inward (pratyāhāra), you will improve your focus and learn to practice to the rhythm of your own breath. The meditation and concentration makes the practice meaningful, and is a gateway to your inner dimensions. A yoga practice should be a practice in concentration and meditation. In ashtanga and hatha yoga we use our bodies to practice and achieve this.

We start simple, and the more you practice, the more you will learn at your own ideal pace while your body becomes stronger and softer, and your mind becomes more focused.