Hello, I’m Ini!
I was born in Berlin, but I’d say I am more of a gypsy than a German. I’ve lived around the globe, including in Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and now in New Zealand, and my culture and accent reflect a bit of everywhere I’ve been. Besides yoga, I love the outdoors and adventure sports, especially skydiving, sailing and horse riding. I’m also very passionate about the environment and conservation. I hold a PhD in cell and molecular biology and have a particular interest in chronic illness, which has directed my focus to teaching yoga and mindfulness practices that can improve quality of life.
My practice
I was first introduced to yoga in 2003, when I started Ashtanga Vinyasa Flow at university. For me, it was only a physical practice at that time, which solely took place at the yoga studio. Throughout my career I experienced stress and health issues, so I sought out gentler yoga practices, including breathing and meditation exercises. This journey had a profound and positive effect on my life. Yoga became an emotional and spiritual journey, in addition to physical exercise, and a selfcare practice that forms part of my everyday life. Depending on my mood, I love a powerful Vinyasa flow with good music, or a more introspective Yin yoga practice with longer holds.
My training & classes
In 2019, I completed my 200+ hour Vinyasa yoga teacher training in Scotland, with the amazing Steph Wall at the Kali Collective. The program significantly expanded my knowledge about this tradition and taught me how to share yoga safely. I’ve since conducted further training towards my 300+ hour certification and to become a Yin Yoga teacher. I love customizing yoga classes for individuals, so I generally teach one-on-one’s or smaller groups. This allows me to focus on the individual’s needs, and to help with alignment and variations. I also create custom yoga classes in video and audio format for students who cannot attend in person. My classes generally involve breathing exercises and a vinyasa sequence, in which we link our movement with our breath. You can find out more about classes I offer here, or contact me here.
My yoga is probably not the yoga that you envision when you think of the head-standing, lycra-clad, perfect bodies of the many amazing yogis on Instagram. I am neither a gymnast nor a body builder. By sharing what I’ve learnt and experienced, my mission is to provide people with a toolkit of yoga and mindfulness practices that will help them face the everyday challenges of life. No matter if you are a spoonie, a busy professional, or an elderly person with restricted movement – the right yoga practice can offer you significant physical and mental benefits and improve your quality of life. As our lives and minds get busier, and the world around us seemingly crazier, yoga and mindfulness practices can help us clear our minds, breathe deeper, and navigate our internal and external world.
Yoga is a complex tradition, a journey to more conscious living, and a means to transform your body, mind and soul.
Alongside my yoga studies, I also delved deeper into mindfulness practices, especially Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 2012. Through self study and daily practice, training courses, and silent meditation retreats, I developed knowledge and experience in formal and informal mindfulness practices. Mindfulness practices are incorporate into all my yoga classes, and I also offer mindfulness courses and mindfulness retreats. My priority is to help my students develop a toolkit of mindfulness practices to suit their needs, to enhance their quality of life.
If you want to spend more time being truly awake and present, moment by moment, experiencing and partaking in your life, then I highly recommend learning about mindfulness practices. It will change your experience of life.