Teachers at Haa Course Center
Ma Sita Savitri
is originally from Iceland, where she studied linguistics at the University of Reykjavik. Certain spontaneous mystic experiences in her youth made her begin seeking a teacher of ‘real’ meditation. During her University studies she practised yoga, but it was not until she moved to Denmark in 1982 that she found what she had been looking for; on the courses at Scandinavian Yoga and Meditation School and from the authentic teaching of Swami Janakananda.
After living and teaching at the branches in Århus, Copenhagen and Stockholm, Ma Sita moved to Haa Course Center in 1991 where she, in close cooperation with Swami Janakananda, teaches yoga and meditation, and takes part in the management of the school. On the longer courses in Haa, she leads evenings with meditative chants and dances from different parts of the world, with kirtan as her speciality.
Franz Jervidalo
originally comes from Northern Jutland in Denmark. He lived in Sweden for seven years, where he taught at the school in Stockholm and traveled around the country holding weekend courses. In 1985 he moved to Copenhagen and is now in charge of the school there.
Franz has 30 years experience teaching yoga and meditation, and he teaches to many different types of students including athletes, gymnast instructors and health sector employees. Franz moreover runs courses for companies, with training in yoga and meditation in daily life to prevent stress.
Mira
is the leader of Scandinavian Yoga and Meditation School in Stockholm. She was born and raised on the west coast of Sweden. She started her training at the school in Copenhagen, where she lived for five years. During the summers of this period, she was the driving force behind the organic farming at Håå Course Center.
In 1987 Mira began to teach at the school in Stockholm. Besides giving daily courses in yoga and meditation at the school, she teaches regularly in companies and at health resorts. Mira writes and translates for the magazine Bindu.
Hamsananda
born in Denmark, has lived in Germany since 1988 and is the founder of the school in Hannover. After more than 25 years of teaching experience, there is hardly a situation he has not taught in, from prisons in Denmark and package holidays in Greece, to medical clinics in Germany.
Hamsananda often works in cooperation with doctors and researchers, investigating the effects of yoga and meditation. He also is a skilled craftsman; a large part of the building work at the branches of the school is planned and supervised by him.
Yoga Shakti
is from Denmark, but she now lives in the school in Hannover that she leads together wih Hamsananda. During her philosophy studies at Copenhagen University, she participated in several yoga courses in Copenhagen and at Håå. This resulted in her deciding to explore life rather than to read about it.
Yoga Shakti started her yoga teacher training in 1989 and since then has taught at the schools in Århus, Copenhagen and Hannover. Her speciality is yoga for pregnant women. She has many years of experience with horses and has contributed to the training of the horses at Håå Course Center.
Turiya
is from Odense, Denmark. He began with yoga and meditation at 18 and attended the 3-months course after leaving high school. Following that he joined the ashram in Copenhagen in order to combine his music studies with an intense sadhana. He started the yoga teacher education after assisting on a few retreats at Håå Course Center. Two years later, in 1996, he moved to the Stockholm school, where he now takes part in the management.
Turiya's creative talent is responsible for much of the schools photography and layout work. He has also designed the nose cleansing pot, Yogi's Nose Buddy.
Anandananda
comes from Norway, where he studied at the National Arts and Crafts College in Oslo. He began his yoga teacher training in 1980 by participating in the 3-month course at Håå Course Center. Since then he has lived and taught at the schools in Stockholm, Århus and Copenhagen as well as at Håå.
Anandananda is the school’s graphic artist. His creative work can be found on posters, at exhibitions and in the magazine Bindu. He now lives in Gothenburg, and teaches there and in the surrounding area.
Erling Christiansen
grew up in Copenhagen. After a journey to India and South-East Asia, he participated in some residential courses at the Scandinavian Yoga and Meditation School. In the following years he continued his yoga practice whilst working as a chemical engineer.
Erling started his yoga teacher training after the 3-month course in 1993. Since then he has lived at the schools in Hannover and in Stockholm. Now he is living and teaching in Toulouse, France.
Agnidhara
comes from Finland. She has practised yoga since the end of the eighties when she studied to become, and worked as a conservator. In 1995 she participated in the 3-month course, after which she started the yoga teacher training - exchanging the maintenance of the material tradition, with that of the spiritual.
After having lived at the course center in Håå and the school in Copenhagen for many years, she now lives in Helsinki in Finland, where she started teaching in the fall of 2007.
Jens Møller
received his yoga teacher training in Stockholm and Copenhagen, and now has more than 20 years experience of yoga and meditation. The breathing exercises were especially important for his former occupation as a classical flute player. Also kirtan in its free, improvised form has opened up a new musical dimension.
Jens now lives in Esbjerg, and teaches in southern and western Jutland in Denmark.
Lisbet Gelting
comes from Denmark where, in the 80’s, she studied psychology, architecture and art.
At the beginning of the 90’s, she trained to be an Alexander teacher and, in 2000, participated in the 3-month course at Håå Course Center.
After some years with the schools in Copenhagen and Stockholm, she now lives and teaches yoga and meditation in the school in Toulouse, France.
Robert Konstantinovitsch
was raised in a coastal town just south of Copenhagen. He is an avid sailor and a world traveller. He lived in Switzerland for some years where he worked as an artisan restoring furniture.
Robert began practicing yoga at the school in Copenhagen and on the longer courses in Håå in 1993. Now he lives in the Copenhagen ashram where he has specialised in yoga for children and youths.
Klara Torbiörn
was born and raised on the outskirts of Stockholm. Initially she studied sports teaching, mountain tour guiding and started medical training.
After participating in the 3-month course at Håå Course Center in 2003, Klara decided to join the 4-6 year full time yoga and meditation teacher education. Since then she has lived at Håå where, apart from yoga teaching, she handles the school’s bookkeeping.
Vigyana Shakti
is originally from Estonia and she has been living in Sweden since 1997. Photography was her great interest and she studied and worked as a photographer.
After the 3-month course in 2004 she moved into the ashram at Håå Course Center and joined the yoga teacher training. Here she takes care of the horses. Vigyana Shakti teaches yoga in the nearby towns and her speciality is pregnancy yoga.
Ottar G. Sørensen
comes from Norway. He started practising yoga during his philosophy studies at Bergen University.
After a period of exchange studies at the University of Reykjavik in Iceland he participated in the 3-month course at Håå Course Center in 2003. He has been living in Håå since 2005.
Ottar is a skilful handicraftsman and is responsible for the maintenance of the course center.
Jan Chmilewski
is originally from Germany. After studying Nordic Languages at the University in Hamburg he set out to gain self-knowledge and to explore the more practical side of life.
At first Jan worked with biodynamic farming in Scandinavia and Spain, then he participated in a 3-month course at Håå Course Center, where he began his teacher training in 2006. Here, apart from teaching, he is now responsible for the organic farming. From autumn 2010 he is also part of the teacher group in our school in Stockholm.
