The Sampoorna teaching team endeavors to create a supportive and nurturing environment that will enable students to find true health along with a deeper spiritual awareness. Our aim is to create a sensitive, safe and spiritual space where each individual is free to express and explore themselves without expectation or judgment.
Our teaching staff is a unique blend of Indian and International teachers—creating a fusion of cultures, experiences, teaching styles, approach to yoga asana, and a multicultural environment appropriate to the eclectic and international group of students we receive at our center. While our teachers come from a variety of cultures, countries, and disciplines, we are united in our belief that yoga is an ongoing transformational process and uphold this unique blend of East-West influence on yoga that will benefit all with a deeper awareness and understanding of yoga personally and in a global context.
All of our teachers are experienced and qualified and lend their own personal style and experience, while at the same time staying grounded in traditional yoga disciplines.
Deepak Sharma
Deepak Sharma is the founder of Sampoorna yoga and the director of yoga teacher training courses and Sampoorna Yoga retreats. He has been practicing yoga, its philosophy and meditation for over 14 years. He first became interested in yoga through his father, who is also a yoga teacher trained in the Satyananda Yoga Tradition. Deepak grew up practicing Bhakti Yoga (the yogic path of devotion) and became more interested in the physical aspect of yoga in later years. His interest in yoga started as more of a spiritual inquiry, but when he first started helping his father in yoga classes at the age of 14 he started to learn more about the physical practice by watching and assisting him.
He became even more interested in yoga when at the age of 22 he read the main yogic text ‘Bhagavad Gita’. He continued learning yoga from his father and various other teachers from the Satyananda and Sivananda Yoga traditions, with whom he studied traditional shatkarma (cleansing techniques), pranayama and asana. Today, he devotes himself to the practice of Ashtanga Yoga (based on Swami Satyananda’s teachings, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and Patabi Jois’asanas) while still remaining open to learn from all. He has incorporated these teachings and traditions into his own teaching style. Deepak teaches all over India throughout the year (during teacher training courses and retreats) and has taught in Europe as well. He focuses especially on teaching the Ashtanga Series, Mysore-style classes, Yin Yoga and Philosophy.
Keshava, India
Keshava, born in a hindu brahmin family, started to pursue the study in sanskrit and yoga philosopy at very young age. He studied Sanskrit, Advaita Philosophy and Patanjali Yoga Sutra in the traditional Gurukalam system for 5 years mainly from his Gurji, H.H. Swami Dayananda Ji, a well renowned teacher of vedanta from Sw. Dayananda Ashram, Rishikesh, India.
He also holds three Post Graduate degrees in Sanskrit, Philosophy and Psychology, one in each discipline and currently pursuing his Ph.D in psychology, to understand the deeper layers of Human personality. Keshava is committed to teach yoga philosophy and bring ancient sacred knowledge to modern life to have a meaningful and peaceful living.
Joanna Sanchez, USA
Joanna feels blessed to have had Yoga come into her life over ten years ago whilst living in Alaska, a place she considers ‘one of the most beautiful on the planet’. Having moved there to seek out a deeper connection to both nature and her inner self, she spent many years in the back-country snowboarding and climbing mountains before finally coming to discover that the same connection to the higher power/energy she experienced on a mountaintop was also available simply being on a yoga mat. Later, as many students discover, the connection began to flow off the mat and into Joanna’s everyday life, where even the smallest activity was easily transformed into something more through breath and awareness. Amazed at how Yoga transformed her life for the better, Joanna developed the desire to share this path with others.
Since then Joanna has accumulated over 900 hours of teacher training under the guidance of senior Astanga, Iyengar and Anusara instructors from around the world. Most recently, her journey to India has created an awareness of yoga’s infinite process and its healing power to overcome mental, physical and emotional obstacles. Her teaching is infused with enthusiasm and humor, steady peacefulness, and vibrancy and she takes great care to support and challenge each individual. She also encourages students to pay close attention to what feels right for them, believing that every person is responsible for their personal well-being.
With the words of Albert Einstein Joanna invites you to witness the miracle of Yoga through the amazing experience that is India.
Rachel Berryman, USA
Coming from a background of 20 years of ballet and contemporary dance training, Rachel has always been interested in working with the body and the amazing capacity our bodies have. She returned to Albania in 2011, where she had been living for 3 years, to open Tirana Yoga studio—one of the first yoga studios in the entire country. Rachel is honored to share yoga with those living in a post-Communist country with a long history of religious persecution and broken spiritual ties—helping those that are seeking, back onto the path of self-discovery and transformation. Rachel currently splits her time teaching yoga between Albania and India.
Rachel’s teaching style is a blend of her own experience—drawing not only from the physical practice of yoga in both its Eastern and Western forms, but also from traditional yoga philosophy and meditation techniques in order to develop an integrative, creative, fluid class that is energizing, engaging, and inspiring for all. She is a firm believer that yoga is for everyone—meeting people on their path where they are, in order to help them move forward with awareness, mindfulness, and heightened consciousness.
Nora Ndrenika, Germany
Nora has been learning and practicing yoga for many years in its various forms like Ashtanga, Iyengar, Jivamukti and Kundalini throughout Germany and India. She also studied Anthropology, Political Sciences and Economical Geography in Munich. During a very stressful time of her life she found her way to the first yoga class looking for nothing else than some relaxation. But what she found in the practice changed her life as a whole. From the beginning on she was fascinated by the feeling of being centered, when mind and body are connected through movement and breath, creating a sense of unity
Heather
Heather enjoys the exploration of body & mind wellness & sharing her knowledge with others. She is also holds a qualification in Teaching Exercise & Fitness & regularly attends workshops to further her knowledge & understanding.
She teaches dynamic Ashtanga Vinyasa flow classes (a modified Primary Series ) and Hatha flow classes drawing from her various influences & the different schools of yoga - the flow of ashtanga, the precision of Iyengar, the stillness of hatha. Her classes whether dynamic or passive are meditative, mindful, playful& nurturing with a focus on correct breathing & alignment.
Heather has practised & studied with a wide range of teachers including Paul Grilley, Eunice Laurel, Jean Hall, Jeff Phenix, Philippa Asher in London and Deepak from India- all of whom she takes influence from.
Heather's ever growing 8 year passion for the practise of all kinds of yoga has become one of the integral parts of her life. With a keen interest in health & wellbeing in her late teens whilst living in her hometown in the North of England she took her first yoga class years later when she moved to London.
Being intrigued to try it out, originally seeing it as a compliment to her running, cycling & gym workouts, she was soon hooked by the deeper side to yoga and the balance it started to bring to her life in the hecticness of the City’s fast pace. A trip to Goa & redundancy from her job in the music industry 4 years ago planted the seed for her to take her yoga practise to the next level & she began her journey to becoming a teacher.
Along with being part of the teaching team at Sampoorna Yoga, Heather is currently studying towards the 500 hrs certificate & loving the fact there is always further to go in yoga - happy to be the eternal student on the yoga path.
Her mantra - its all about balance!
Gemma
The yoga path started for Gemma when she was at university over 10 years ago. As for many people who practice yoga it became the most useful tool life has to offer for self-development, grounding and relaxation. From day one she was fascinated by the profound effects she encountered and that yoga continues to offer up.
Curious by nature, Gemma has explored a broad range of yoga styles in London and India and her teaching takes inspiration from a diverse array of asana including Ashtanga, Yin, Sivananda, Bikram, Iyengar, Rocket and most predominantly Vinyasa Flow yoga.
Inspired by the powerful and dynamic impact yoga has on her own life, Gemma is impassioned to share this gift with her students. Paying proper attention to healthy alignment principles is a founding principle within all Gemma's classes. She teaches restorative and dynamic vinyasa flow yoga. In addition, Gemma enjoys teaching advanced sequences inspired by the Intermediate Series of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and the 3rd and 4th Advanced Series which are practiced with a fast pace to build strength and enhance progress.
With compassion for our own selves in mind (Ahimsa for yogis) Gemma believes that the style of yoga asana should be adaptable to the ability and energy of the students at that particular time be it morning or evening, hot or cool, new moon or full moon! A challenging practice is always encouraged as it is at the point at which challenge meets compassion that we connect with ourselves on a deeper level - a place of creativity and growth on a more profound and spiritual level.
With a Reiki level 1 certification, Gemma continues to explore surrounding therapeutic and healing disciplines as well as being mindful of the value of nutrition on our wellbeing. Being a swimmer, runner and cyclist - by studying and exploring her own physical capabilities and limitations within these surrounding disciplines she has gained a deeper understanding of the body which carries through to her teaching
Our teaching staff is a unique blend of Indian and International teachers—creating a fusion of cultures, experiences, teaching styles, approach to yoga asana, and a multicultural environment appropriate to the eclectic and international group of students we receive at our center. While our teachers come from a variety of cultures, countries, and disciplines, we are united in our belief that yoga is an ongoing transformational process and uphold this unique blend of East-West influence on yoga that will benefit all with a deeper awareness and understanding of yoga personally and in a global context.
All of our teachers are experienced and qualified and lend their own personal style and experience, while at the same time staying grounded in traditional yoga disciplines.
Deepak Sharma
Deepak Sharma is the founder of Sampoorna yoga and the director of yoga teacher training courses and Sampoorna Yoga retreats. He has been practicing yoga, its philosophy and meditation for over 14 years. He first became interested in yoga through his father, who is also a yoga teacher trained in the Satyananda Yoga Tradition. Deepak grew up practicing Bhakti Yoga (the yogic path of devotion) and became more interested in the physical aspect of yoga in later years. His interest in yoga started as more of a spiritual inquiry, but when he first started helping his father in yoga classes at the age of 14 he started to learn more about the physical practice by watching and assisting him.
He became even more interested in yoga when at the age of 22 he read the main yogic text ‘Bhagavad Gita’. He continued learning yoga from his father and various other teachers from the Satyananda and Sivananda Yoga traditions, with whom he studied traditional shatkarma (cleansing techniques), pranayama and asana. Today, he devotes himself to the practice of Ashtanga Yoga (based on Swami Satyananda’s teachings, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and Patabi Jois’asanas) while still remaining open to learn from all. He has incorporated these teachings and traditions into his own teaching style. Deepak teaches all over India throughout the year (during teacher training courses and retreats) and has taught in Europe as well. He focuses especially on teaching the Ashtanga Series, Mysore-style classes, Yin Yoga and Philosophy.
Keshava, India
Keshava, born in a hindu brahmin family, started to pursue the study in sanskrit and yoga philosopy at very young age. He studied Sanskrit, Advaita Philosophy and Patanjali Yoga Sutra in the traditional Gurukalam system for 5 years mainly from his Gurji, H.H. Swami Dayananda Ji, a well renowned teacher of vedanta from Sw. Dayananda Ashram, Rishikesh, India.
He also holds three Post Graduate degrees in Sanskrit, Philosophy and Psychology, one in each discipline and currently pursuing his Ph.D in psychology, to understand the deeper layers of Human personality. Keshava is committed to teach yoga philosophy and bring ancient sacred knowledge to modern life to have a meaningful and peaceful living.
Joanna Sanchez, USA
Joanna feels blessed to have had Yoga come into her life over ten years ago whilst living in Alaska, a place she considers ‘one of the most beautiful on the planet’. Having moved there to seek out a deeper connection to both nature and her inner self, she spent many years in the back-country snowboarding and climbing mountains before finally coming to discover that the same connection to the higher power/energy she experienced on a mountaintop was also available simply being on a yoga mat. Later, as many students discover, the connection began to flow off the mat and into Joanna’s everyday life, where even the smallest activity was easily transformed into something more through breath and awareness. Amazed at how Yoga transformed her life for the better, Joanna developed the desire to share this path with others.
Since then Joanna has accumulated over 900 hours of teacher training under the guidance of senior Astanga, Iyengar and Anusara instructors from around the world. Most recently, her journey to India has created an awareness of yoga’s infinite process and its healing power to overcome mental, physical and emotional obstacles. Her teaching is infused with enthusiasm and humor, steady peacefulness, and vibrancy and she takes great care to support and challenge each individual. She also encourages students to pay close attention to what feels right for them, believing that every person is responsible for their personal well-being.
With the words of Albert Einstein Joanna invites you to witness the miracle of Yoga through the amazing experience that is India.
Rachel Berryman, USA
Coming from a background of 20 years of ballet and contemporary dance training, Rachel has always been interested in working with the body and the amazing capacity our bodies have. She returned to Albania in 2011, where she had been living for 3 years, to open Tirana Yoga studio—one of the first yoga studios in the entire country. Rachel is honored to share yoga with those living in a post-Communist country with a long history of religious persecution and broken spiritual ties—helping those that are seeking, back onto the path of self-discovery and transformation. Rachel currently splits her time teaching yoga between Albania and India.
Rachel’s teaching style is a blend of her own experience—drawing not only from the physical practice of yoga in both its Eastern and Western forms, but also from traditional yoga philosophy and meditation techniques in order to develop an integrative, creative, fluid class that is energizing, engaging, and inspiring for all. She is a firm believer that yoga is for everyone—meeting people on their path where they are, in order to help them move forward with awareness, mindfulness, and heightened consciousness.
Nora Ndrenika, Germany
Nora has been learning and practicing yoga for many years in its various forms like Ashtanga, Iyengar, Jivamukti and Kundalini throughout Germany and India. She also studied Anthropology, Political Sciences and Economical Geography in Munich. During a very stressful time of her life she found her way to the first yoga class looking for nothing else than some relaxation. But what she found in the practice changed her life as a whole. From the beginning on she was fascinated by the feeling of being centered, when mind and body are connected through movement and breath, creating a sense of unity
Heather
Heather enjoys the exploration of body & mind wellness & sharing her knowledge with others. She is also holds a qualification in Teaching Exercise & Fitness & regularly attends workshops to further her knowledge & understanding.
She teaches dynamic Ashtanga Vinyasa flow classes (a modified Primary Series ) and Hatha flow classes drawing from her various influences & the different schools of yoga - the flow of ashtanga, the precision of Iyengar, the stillness of hatha. Her classes whether dynamic or passive are meditative, mindful, playful& nurturing with a focus on correct breathing & alignment.
Heather has practised & studied with a wide range of teachers including Paul Grilley, Eunice Laurel, Jean Hall, Jeff Phenix, Philippa Asher in London and Deepak from India- all of whom she takes influence from.
Heather's ever growing 8 year passion for the practise of all kinds of yoga has become one of the integral parts of her life. With a keen interest in health & wellbeing in her late teens whilst living in her hometown in the North of England she took her first yoga class years later when she moved to London.
Being intrigued to try it out, originally seeing it as a compliment to her running, cycling & gym workouts, she was soon hooked by the deeper side to yoga and the balance it started to bring to her life in the hecticness of the City’s fast pace. A trip to Goa & redundancy from her job in the music industry 4 years ago planted the seed for her to take her yoga practise to the next level & she began her journey to becoming a teacher.
Along with being part of the teaching team at Sampoorna Yoga, Heather is currently studying towards the 500 hrs certificate & loving the fact there is always further to go in yoga - happy to be the eternal student on the yoga path.
Her mantra - its all about balance!
Gemma
The yoga path started for Gemma when she was at university over 10 years ago. As for many people who practice yoga it became the most useful tool life has to offer for self-development, grounding and relaxation. From day one she was fascinated by the profound effects she encountered and that yoga continues to offer up.
Curious by nature, Gemma has explored a broad range of yoga styles in London and India and her teaching takes inspiration from a diverse array of asana including Ashtanga, Yin, Sivananda, Bikram, Iyengar, Rocket and most predominantly Vinyasa Flow yoga.
Inspired by the powerful and dynamic impact yoga has on her own life, Gemma is impassioned to share this gift with her students. Paying proper attention to healthy alignment principles is a founding principle within all Gemma's classes. She teaches restorative and dynamic vinyasa flow yoga. In addition, Gemma enjoys teaching advanced sequences inspired by the Intermediate Series of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and the 3rd and 4th Advanced Series which are practiced with a fast pace to build strength and enhance progress.
With compassion for our own selves in mind (Ahimsa for yogis) Gemma believes that the style of yoga asana should be adaptable to the ability and energy of the students at that particular time be it morning or evening, hot or cool, new moon or full moon! A challenging practice is always encouraged as it is at the point at which challenge meets compassion that we connect with ourselves on a deeper level - a place of creativity and growth on a more profound and spiritual level.
With a Reiki level 1 certification, Gemma continues to explore surrounding therapeutic and healing disciplines as well as being mindful of the value of nutrition on our wellbeing. Being a swimmer, runner and cyclist - by studying and exploring her own physical capabilities and limitations within these surrounding disciplines she has gained a deeper understanding of the body which carries through to her teaching
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