Spanda Institute

Spanda Institute Since 2009, Spanda Institute has empowered yogis with globally recognised yoga training rooted in ancient wisdom and modern science.

We offer 200/300/95hr & 800hr Yoga Therapy certifications in Europe, Sri Lanka, and online with small group learning.

PHILOSOPHY HOUR: Kleshas - The Five Causes of SufferingIn the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali describes five kleshas, usually tra...
02/09/2026

PHILOSOPHY HOUR: Kleshas - The Five Causes of Suffering

In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali describes five kleshas, usually translated as afflictions or causes of suffering: avidya (ignorance or misperception), asmita (ego or identification), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (clinging to life or fear of death). Together, they describe some of the fundamental ways we misunderstand ourselves and our experience.

Avidya sits at the root of the other four. Translated as ignorance or misconception, it is seeing things incorrectly, including mistaking what is temporary for permanent and what is not the self for the self. From avidya comes asmita, our identification with the sense of “I”. We identify with our thoughts, roles, bodies, opinions and experiences, taking these changing aspects of ourselves to be who we are. Raga is our attachment to pleasurable experiences and our desire to hold onto or repeat them, while dvesha is our resistance to experiences we dislike and our desire to avoid them. The fifth, abhinivesha, is usually translated as fear of death or clinging to life. More broadly, it points to our deeply rooted resistance to loss, change and endings. Patanjali says that it exists even in the wise, suggesting that it is not simply a fear we can reason ourselves out of.

The kleshas are easy to recognise in ordinary life. Something goes well, and we want to preserve it. Something unpleasant happens, and we want it gone. A role, relationship or belief becomes part of our identity, and anything that threatens it can feel like a threat to us personally. But this is not to suggest that pleasure is wrong, that we should never dislike anything, or that we should abandon our individual identities. The practice is to recognise these patterns and see more clearly how they shape our thoughts, choices and experience.

In Patanjali’s system, greater clarity gradually weakens their influence, allowing us to meet experience with less attachment, resistance and identification.

Ready to deepen your practice, expand your understanding of yoga, and gain the skills to teach with confidence?Since 200...
02/09/2026

Ready to deepen your practice, expand your understanding of yoga, and gain the skills to teach with confidence?

Since 2009, we’ve trained thousands of yoga teachers worldwide and have become one of the highly rated schools on Yoga Alliance. Wherever you choose to study, you’ll learn within a supportive, personalised environment and become part of our global Spanda Sangha.

Whether you choose an intensive or extended format, a different location and lead trainer, you’ll follow the same programme developed by Spanda Institute founder Yoga Teacher Trainer, Therapist, Author, Entrepreneur . Shaped by decades of yoga study, a strong scientific foundation, and almost two decades of teaching and continuously refining our YTTs, the programme brings together the depth of yoga tradition with a thoughtful, contemporary approach to teaching.

Our 200-hour YTT is more than a certification; it is a journey into the heart of yoga. Rooted in tradition and grounded in modern science, it is designed to give you the knowledge, tools and confidence to deepen your own practice and develop your voice as a teacher. You’ll explore yoga philosophy, anatomy & biomechanics, intelligent sequencing, pranayama, meditation, mantra, mudra, Ayurveda and trauma-sensitive approaches, learning not just what to teach, but how and why.

But the journey goes beyond acquiring knowledge and teaching techniques. You’ll be encouraged to cultivate a deeper awareness of your own body and mind, to think critically rather than simply follow prescribed methods, and to develop the sensitivity to meet each student as an individual. You’ll learn to question, observe, adapt and make informed choices, so that you can create safer, more inclusive spaces for others to explore yoga in their own way.

Choose what works for you ↓

🇵🇹 Ericeira, Portugal — Oct/Nov 2026 Maré Guesthouse Ericeira
🇬🇧 London, UK — Oct 2026–Mar 2027 SOMA Yoga Studio Wandsworth
🇮🇹 Turin, Italy — Nov 2026–May 2027 Terra Yoga Torino
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka — Jan 2027 EARTHLINKS CASA
🇧🇦 Sarajevo, BIH — May 2027–Apr 2028 Ada | Yoga Teacher
💻 Online — start anytime

The next chapter on your yoga journey could start here.

Performing advanced asanas is often seen as a sign of being advanced, but this is a myth.The term “advanced yogi” is its...
01/09/2026

Performing advanced asanas is often seen as a sign of being advanced, but this is a myth.

The term “advanced yogi” is itself problematic because yoga encompasses many different traditions, with different practices, philosophies, and understandings of what the practice is ultimately for. Yet liberation is a recurring idea across many yogic traditions, including Hatha yoga from which much of contemporary postural yoga developed. Broadly speaking, liberation involves becoming free from ignorance, attachment, identification, and the patterns that keep us bound to illusions. From this perspective, being able to perform more difficult practices does not take us there. If only it were that simple.

The ability to perform a complex asana may demonstrate flexibility, strength, coordination, discipline, or a particular anatomy. None of these are insignificant qualities, but neither are they necessarily indications that someone is more self-aware or compassionate. Considerable discipline is also required to run 10k every day, lift heavy weights, or master any demanding physical skill. Yet, we do not usually assume that these abilities make someone more self-aware, less attached, or closer to liberation.

Additionally, many postures described as “advanced” require large ranges of motion, which are relatively accessible to some because of their anatomy or natural flexibility. However, repeatedly pursuing deeper ranges may place unnecessary stress on joints and surrounding tissues. In this case, a more advanced or self-aware practice may involve doing less and knowing when a posture is not useful to pursue, even when the practitioner is capable of performing it.

This is not to suggest that complex asanas have no value, or that developing physical capacity cannot be part of yoga. The question is whether we should confuse investment in increasingly difficult physical abilities with advancement in yoga itself. A complex asana can become a means of developing attention and discipline, but it can equally become something that harms our bodies as well as something we identify with, compare, pursue, or use as a measure of our own progress.

TSY: Holding Space: What It Means — and What It Isn’t“Holding space” is one of those phrases that has become so common i...
24/06/2026

TSY: Holding Space: What It Means — and What It Isn’t

“Holding space” is one of those phrases that has become so common in yoga and wellness-adjacent circles, but what does it really mean? The term describes something important but it is also frequently misunderstood and misused.

So what does it actually mean?

The concept of holding comes from psychology and psychotherapy, describing therapeutic presence, attunement and, importantly, containment. In a therapeutic environment, creating a safe relational space where another person can experience and process difficult emotions is essential. So, in practice, “holding space” should mean creating conditions where someone can safely explore what is happening for them. If someone is grieving, anxious, angry, confused, or processing something important, holding space means being present without rushing to fix, advise, judge, or redirect their experience.

But here’s where the conversation becomes important.

Holding space does not simply mean being present. In many wellness and yoga circles, the phrase is often used casually, as though showing up and caring is enough. While presence is valuable, the original psychological context points to something more.

A therapist, counsellor, or trauma-informed facilitator is trained to remain emotionally grounded when another person becomes distressed or dysregulated. They learn how to regulate themselves in the presence of strong emotions, recognise signs of overwhelm, maintain appropriate boundaries, and support the process without making it about themselves. Importantly, they may also be able to help someone move from a state of dysregulation toward greater stability and regulation, either through co-regulation or by guiding them through a self-regulation process; these are learned skills developed through appropriate training and practice.

Some trauma-sensitive yoga trainings include aspects of this work. Psychotherapy trainings certainly do. But simply calling oneself a “space holder” does not automatically confer these abilities, and without them
“holding space” becomes a phrase that sounds meaningful while obscuring the limits of what is actually being offered.

Congrats to this beautiful group of devoted yoginis who completed our 200h YTT in Ericeira, our beloved home base. 🌊 You...
18/05/2026

Congrats to this beautiful group of devoted yoginis who completed our 200h YTT in Ericeira, our beloved home base. 🌊 Your dedication, openness, and trust in the process were inspiring, and we’re looking forward to seeing where this new experience takes you:). 💜🤍❤️

A huge thank you to our incredible team .moves .retreats for your presence, patience, and unwavering dedication to the Spanda Method and the craft of teaching. You are the heart of this container.

And a very special congratulations to our founder Nina and her partner for taking over this magical space and breathing new life into it. Even though we’ve been present here for almost a decade, Spanda has a physical home again and we can’t help but feel it’s exactly where it should be.

Next Ericeira training dates - October 24 - November 11. Applications with a special offer will be open next week!

Does yoga have religious roots?Today, most of the yoga practised around the world is not experienced as a religion. But ...
04/05/2026

Does yoga have religious roots?

Today, most of the yoga practised around the world is not experienced as a religion. But was it ever?

Yoga is often assumed to be rooted directly in (Hindu) religious practice. However, this assumption deserves a bit of critical thinking. The traditions and disciplines grouped under the umbrella term ´yoga´developed in parallel over many centuries, shaped by overlapping and sometimes competing schools of thought. It is a shared history, not a simple case of one producing the other.

Many early yogic practices developed among renunciate and ascetic communities who operated outside established religious/ritual systems. These practitioners were not engaged in temple worship or devotion to a personal deity. They were focused on direct experience, self-discipline, and systematic techniques for transforming body and mind. Yoga emerged, in this context, not as a religion but as a body of methods aimed at liberation. This is how most people still see it.

This is also evident in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The role of God in this system is strikingly marginal, presented as one optional object of meditative focus rather than a theological requirement. The system functions entirely without theistic commitment.

The term yoga covers a wide range of distinct approaches. Classical traditions describe devotional yoga, yoga of knowledge, yoga of action, and meditative yoga. Of these, only the devotional path resembles religious practice in the conventional sense. It is one strand among many, and notably the strand least represented in what most people practise today.

What is most widely practised now draws primarily from hatha yoga, which emphasises posture, breath regulation, and embodied techniques for developing strength, stability, and awareness. The key classical texts of this tradition are striking for how technical and non-devotional they are. They read less like scripture and more like practical manuals.

Yoga is best understood as a discipline of practice and inquiry that developed within a broad cultural environment, not as a religion, and not as the exclusive property of any single faith tradition.

Belated congratulations to these beautiful women, new yoga teachers who have completed our 200h YTT in Sarajevo led by o...
25/04/2026

Belated congratulations to these beautiful women, new yoga teachers who have completed our 200h YTT in Sarajevo led by our amazing Ada .yoga

Thank you all for your dedication and commitment, we’re so grateful to be able to welcome you in our Spanda Sangha 💜🙏🏼 and we can’t wait to see where you go from here:)

New training dates for Sarajevo will be announced soon, stay tuned:)

A huge congratulations to our incredible graduates of the 200h Yoga Teacher Training in London, led by the wonderful Gea...
20/04/2026

A huge congratulations to our incredible graduates of the 200h Yoga Teacher Training in London, led by the wonderful Gea .yoga at Soma Yoga

You each showed up, fully and with open hearts. Your dedication, growth, and commitment have been truly inspiring to witness. This is just the beginning of a beautiful journey, and we cannot wait to see the light you carry forward into the world.

Thank you for trusting us with this chapter of your path🙏🏻.

Feeling called to transform your practice and step into teaching? Our next 200h Yoga Teacher Training at Soma begins this October. Spaces are limited, and we’d love to have you join us. Link in bio.

PRACTICE INSIGHT - Vajrapradama mudra by Anja anja kaloh | vinyasa & prenatal yoga teacher One of my favourite mudras is...
07/04/2026

PRACTICE INSIGHT - Vajrapradama mudra by Anja anja kaloh | vinyasa & prenatal yoga teacher

One of my favourite mudras is Vajrapradama mudra – the mudra of unshakable trust. I often use it to set an intention, or Sankalpa, when I practice, one that often resonates with me. I also often share it with my students, suggesting it as a way to reconnect with a sense of (lost) trust and self-confidence. This mudra and the sense of trust it brings feels especially meaningful in times of instability, doubt, and fear - currents around us that can quickly settle into our inner world. It is particularly suitable during periods of pressure or negativity, when life overwhelms us with challenges.

When practising Vajrapradama mudra during meditation, we can consciously direct energy to the heart centre (anahata chakra) and reconnect with our inner strength.

This mudra can be supportive when we want to awaken:
* trust in life
* emotional stability
* trust in our inner compass
* awareness of our own power
* a sense of inner worth that does not need external validation

Practice:
* sit comfortably with an upright spine (e.g., Sukhasana)
* interlace the fingers of both hands (except the thumbs), palms facing the heart
* thumbs point upward toward the collarbones
* hold the hands in front of the body or gently rest them on the chest

Let Vajrapradama mudra be a reminder that true trust does not come from control, but from connection. If you feel the energy of the mudra, receive it with an open heart and an open mind.

Anja is the Lead Trainer for our 200-hour YTT in Maribor. A new cohort starts this September - find more info and apply via the link in bio.

MEET US – Stefania Avolese 🧘‍♀️ We’re thrilled to welcome our alumna Stefania to the lead trainer team and offer our YTT...
31/03/2026

MEET US – Stefania Avolese 🧘‍♀️

We’re thrilled to welcome our alumna Stefania to the lead trainer team and offer our YTT in Italy again:) Stefania will be leading our transformative 200-hour YTT at her studio in Turin, Italy, beginning this November (link in bio for details).

Get to know the person behind the smile in this Q&A :)

Q: What’s something people often get wrong about you?
A: I look quite serious at first glance, but I’m actually very funny once you get to know me.

Q: If you could whisper something to your younger self, what would it be? 
A: Be patient. There’s no rush. Everything arrives exactly when it’s meant to.

Q: What makes you feel deeply rooted? 
A: Singing and dancing in the way my body wants to move.

Q: Do you believe in intuition? How does it show up for you? 
A: I deeply believe in intuition. My best intuitions are quiet and immediate, especially when the mind isn’t overactive.

Q: What does “home” mean to you these days? 
A: It’s a place, not always physical, where I feel protected, loved, completely myself, and where all my emotions are welcome.

Q: What’s one thing you no longer apologise for? 
A: For saying what I think, while respecting space and needs.  

Q: What part of your inner world are you currently exploring? 
A: I’m exploring my needs - recognising them, accepting them, and learning to satisfy them.  

Q: Books or podcasts? 
A: Books. Reading in a cosy place grounds me; podcasts sometimes pull me away from the present moment.

Q: Yoga mat or hiking trail?
A: Yoga mat, of course.

Q: Planning or improvising?
A: Both. I like planning, but the best things often happen when I improvise, and I’m fully present.

Q: Mountains or ocean?
A: Ocean. I love watching the waves; their sound helps clear my mind.

Q: Sweet or savoury?
A: Savoury. I love pizza and vegetarian lasagna.

Q: If your work had a scent, what would it be?  
A: Jasmine, it’s the scent of Terra studio.

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Largo Da Fonte Do Cabo 3
Ericeira
2655-284

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