YOGA
SATYANANDA YOGA
Satyananda Yoga is a comprehensive system of practice that combines physical positions (asana), breathing techniques (pranayama), relaxation, meditation, and practices for developing inner awareness. Rooted in the tradition of the Satyananda School, it approaches Yoga as a holistic practice that cultivates physical, mental, and emotional balance. The practice can be adapted to the needs and abilities of each practitioner and can provide a steady path of self-awareness and inner development.
ASHTANGA VINYASA YOGA
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is a dynamic and structured form of Yoga in which the breath is coordinated with a set sequence of positions (asanas) through a continuous flow of movement. The practice develops strength, flexibility, stamina, and concentration, while the steady connection between movement and breath cultivates awareness and inner focus. Through regular practice, practitioners gradually develop greater physical and mental stability.
YOGA NIDRA
Yoga Nidra, introduced to the world by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, is a deeply relaxing practice of guided relaxation and inner awareness, performed while lying down in shavasana. Through the gradual relaxation of the body, awareness of the breath, and guided attention, practitioners are led into a state of deep physical and mental calm while maintaining a degree of awareness. The practice provides an opportunity to release accumulated tension and cultivate a deeper connection with the inner world.
NADA YOGA
Nada Yoga is the practice of inner listening and awareness through sound. The word Nada means “sound” and, in the Yogic tradition, refers to the subtle inner sound perceived through stillness and concentration. The practice combines listening, voice, mantra, meditation, and mudras, cultivating concentration, inner calm, and awareness. Through the gradual withdrawal of attention from external stimuli, the practice guides practitioners towards a deeper connection with their inner experience.
KIRTAN
Kirtan is a practice of group chanting and repetition of mantras, traditionally associated with Bhakti Yoga. Participants repeat sacred names and mantras, often accompanied by musical instruments, creating a shared rhythm and atmosphere of concentration and inner connection. Through voice, breath, repetition, and listening, Kirtan can lead to a deeper sense of presence, calm, and meditative awareness. No previous musical experience is required; the practice is primarily based on participation and openness.
SCARAVELLI INSPIRED YOGA
Scaravelli-inspired Yoga is a gentle – and strong at the same time – inwardly focused approach to Yoga, inspired by the teachings of Vanda Scaravelli. It emphasizes body awareness, breathing, and the release of unnecessary muscular tension, rather than striving for specific shapes or forcing the body into positions. Through slow and exploratory movements, practitioners develop an awareness of the relationship between the body, gravity, and the ground, allowing movement to unfold in a natural and effortless way. The practice is suitable for those seeking a more mindful, quiet, and experiential approach to Yoga.
The Teachers
ANTARATMA THEODOROS CHIOTIS
Antaratma Theodoros Chiotis (www.adishaktiyoga.gr) was born and raised in Athens. In 1995, he began practising and studying Yoga within the Satyananda Yoga system, under the guidance of Swami Shivamurti Saraswati.
His first encounter with Yoga came when a close friend invited him to a Satsang, a gathering in the presence of Truth and the teachings of a Yoga Master. What touched him deeply on that first occasion, and became the starting point of his relationship with Yoga, was Kirtan. That evening, he discovered the power that emerges when people sing and move together through Sanskrit, rhythm, and music.
This was the beginning of his journey. In late 1995, he began attending weekly Yoga classes, a choice that gradually transformed his life. Yoga became a way of life and, over time, his life became a continuous practice of Yoga. He later made a deeper commitment to his personal spiritual practice (Sadhana), and his journey took a new direction as his aspiration for inner development and self-awareness became more deeply rooted.
SATYANANDA INSPIRED YOGA
In 1999, he began his studies in the Yogic Studies 1 programme. This decision did not arise from an initial ambition to become a teacher, but rather from the encouragement and inspiration he received from the Yoga Teachers who guided him. In 2000, he completed his training in the Satyananda Yoga system and has since been guiding Yoga classes and workshops for practitioners and Yoga teachers.
Antaratma is also an artist and musician. His relationship with sound and music began at the age of eight, when he started studying classical guitar. Music has played an important role in his life, and the practice of Yoga has allowed him to explore and deepen his relationship with sound.
In 1998, during the early years of his Yoga journey, he began composing and singing Kirtan. Kirtan, which is connected with Nada Yoga (Yoga of Sound) and Bhakti Yoga (Yoga of the Heart), has become for him a profound way of expression and connection with the Self.
Thus, what first drew him to his first Satsang continues to guide him to this day: his attraction to sound and the unique experience that can arise through it.
ALEXANDRA SOTIROPOULOU
Alexandra Sotiropoulou (www.adishaktiyoga.gr) was born and raised in Athens. She began practising Yoga in 1996 within the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga tradition. Her first Yoga teachers were Derek Ireland and Christina Karytinou at Practice Place in southern Crete.
This marked the beginning of a lifelong journey. At the time, she was experiencing pain on both a physical and emotional level, and almost immediately she felt that the practice of Yoga was helping her release a deep inner burden.
She still remembers her first attempts at Downward-Facing Dog, and perhaps for this reason, she has a deep understanding of how people may feel when they first begin practising Yoga. It is a paradoxical mixture of challenge and pleasure, through which the body and mind gradually begin to transform in a profound and meaningful way.
All of this took place before she met Theodoros. Shortly after they met, he introduced her to Satyanandashram in Paiania. There, she was introduced to the Sannyasa way of life, began visiting the Ashram, and became involved in the practice of Karma Yoga.
In 2002, she enrolled in Yogic Studies 1 within the Satyananda Yoga system. Alongside this, she continued her training in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, completing two teacher-training programmes: with Christina Karytinou in 2003 and with David Swenson in Scotland in 2005. In 2007, she successfully completed the teacher-training programme at Satyanandashram Hellas.
SCARAVELLI INSPIRED YOGA
At some point, she was given a copy of Vanda Scaravelli’s book Awakening the Spine. She was deeply struck by the poetic yet remarkably clear way in which Scaravelli described her approach to Yoga. This inspired Alexandra to seek out a teacher who had been a close student of Vanda Scaravelli and could guide her more deeply into this approach. Her search led her to Diane Long, with whom she studied Scaravelli-inspired Yoga from 2008 to 2019.
Today, Alexandra recognises this approach as a deep personal calling: the exploration of the subtle and often hidden potential within the relationship between body and mind. She is inspired by the continuous exploration of Asana and Pranayama, a process that brings her a sense of fulfilment and joy and continues to be an essential part of her personal practice.
She has been teaching Yoga since 2003 and is certified by Yoga Alliance International, with Master Level – 500 hours training.
