Manchester Ashtanga Yoga
Discover a Path to Strength, Flexibility, Stamina, and Inner Balance
What is Ashtanga Yoga?
Traditionally taught as a self‑practice, students learn the sequence gradually, receiving new postures only when they’re ready. This steady, “drip‑fed” approach builds strength, stamina, confidence, and resilience at a pace that suits your body.
Practised mindfully, Ashtanga is grounding and helps regulate the nervous system. This is the traditional method of learning Ashtanga yoga.
Our Classes
I teach Mysore‑style Ashtanga yoga in Manchester
- Wednesdays, 5:30pm – Central Methodist Hall, Central Manchester
- Fridays, 10am – Chorlton Health Hub
These classes suit all levels, as the practice is adapted to your pace and experience.
I also run 4‑week Beginners Courses where you learn Ashtanga from scratch and build a confident home practice.
Advanced practitioners are equally welcome — the method supports steady, personalised progression
Your Teacher
Donna is authorised by Manju Jois to teach both the Primary and Intermediate Series of Ashtanga Yoga.
I currently practise a blend of Primary, Intermediate, and the early stages of Third Series. Ashtanga has been my daily practice since 1998, when I learned it from my teacher Rolf Naujokat in Goa.
Recently I have been studying with Svastha Yoga, the original yoga method as taught by Krishnamacharya which goes to the roots of the Ashtanga method, and I weave in these teachings to my classes.
I teach in the traditional way that I learned, while adapting the practice to each student’s age, ability, and individual needs.
Mysore Style Classes
Ashtanga Yoga is traditionally taught as a self practice, as taught in Mysore India.
In Mysore classes, you learn the sequence gradually, posture by posture, making it the ideal all‑levels approach.
This makes it suitable for everyone, especially beginners because it allows you to build strength and stamina as you go.
Often described as a 1:1 class in a group setting, you get individual attention when needed.
Connect Breath to Movement
Every sequence begins with Sun Salutations and standing postures to build strength, stability and flexibility.
You then move into your chosen series and finish with backbends and inversions.
The practice follows a one‑breath‑one‑movement rhythm, supported by smooth, calm, steady breathing.
You choose how much you want to practice, dependant on how you feel on any given day.
A Practice for Life
Because you make the practice your own, Once learned, you can change what you do from day to day.
The series' give you a framework from which to start, and you work within this framework, adapting your practice to suit the different transitions of your life.
This way you can do small chunks of postures when you have time, instead of feeling like you have to spend an hour every day.
So you dont feel overwhelmed and do nothing!
A Beautiful Practice
With time and dedication, Ashtanga becomes an inward journey. You repeat the same postures daily, yet your body and mind feel different each time. Over time, you notice your patterns — and eventually, those patterns begin to shift both on and off the mat.
Practiced mindfully, Ashtanga is grounding and helps regulate the nervous system. This is the traditional method of learning Ashtanga yoga.