Anni
Anni is gentle and understanding, raised in rural Satakunta, whose life has taken her all over Finland and all the way to Nepal. Anni has been interested in spiritual exploration and religious traditions for a long time. He has studied e.g. religious studies and completed a master's degree in cultural studies. Perhaps it was no coincidence that she ended up in Nepal, whose spiritual and cultural tradition is unparalleled.
Before Nepal, Anni was a passionate dance enthusiast for almost 10 years. However, a serious accident, exhaustion, interpersonal challenges and insomnia in 2017-2018 made a stop and Anni look at her life in a new light. The modern world's indifference and violence, pursuit of self-interest and coldness were disturbing and Anni wanted to know if this was really all the world had to offer.
In Nepal, Anni discovered yoga through various coincidences (or guidance). She immediately felt as if she had entered her spiritual home. According to Anni, you can't really say that she found yoga in her life at that time, but rather that she finally found the words for what is inside her and what values she carries.
Traditional Hatha Yoga quickly caught on and Anni had a burning desire to dive deep into the core of yoga from the beginning. In the spring of 2021, Anni studied RYT 200 h of traditional hatha yoga and ashtanga philosophy at the Himalayan Yoga Academy in Kathmandu.
In Finland, she has continued studying in the regular teachings of long-time yogi Janne Kontala since 2022. Studies have included e.g. study of Bhagavad Gita, meditative yoga and mantra meditation. In autumn 2024, Anni will complete RYT 200 h studies on Janne Kontala's Slow Yoga method.
Anni as a teacher
For Anni, it is important to approach yoga practice calmly: calming yourself and the situation, being still are the key. From this ground, the practice opens up in a completely new way. Anni tries to convey this peace in her teaching as well. She wants to give students time to explore the practice, experiment and wonder. Anni never wants to force anyone to do anything, but emphasizes that the practice starts from everyone's own starting point.
In yoga's philosophical questions and meditation, Anni relies mainly on the teaching given by her teacher Janne Kontala. And even though Sumit is Anni's husband, he is still her teacher in his own way.
Anni's teaching languages are Finnish and English.