Claire Saunders is a dedicated student of the traditional Ashtanga Yoga method. She has travelled to India almost yearly since 1999 to study yoga, Indian music (with a focus on the bansuri – the Indian bamboo flute), Ayurveda, mantra, meditation, and Vedic philosophy. Claire was a direct student of Pattabhi Jois and now continues to study with his grandson Sharath Jois. She practices Primary, Intermediate and Advanced A series Ashtanga Yoga asanas and has the blessing of the KPJAYI to teach both the Primary and full Intermediate Series. While in Mysore, Claire has also been an apprentice to Sharath with both his morning Western classes and his afternoon Indian classes. In addition to her Ashtanga yoga studies, Claire has spent many years under the direct guidance of Swami Niranjanananda and his teachers learning Bhakti yoga (Yoga from the heart).
As well as teaching Mysore-style Ashtanga guided self-practice, led classes and workshops, Claire also leads guest workshops and retreats at studios throughout Europe, India, and Australia. Her approach to sharing yoga asana (from beginners to more seasoned practitioners), is one that contains a balance of both strength and gentleness. She has a deep awareness of the biological function of the asana (yoga postures) and at the same time she can relate the physical to the emotional, mental, and devotional elements of this rich yoga practice.
Claire is Australian born, and established the Ashtanga Yoga Shala Provence in the south of France in 2012 where she teaches in both French and English to a mix of local students and international visitors.
She balances her passion for Ashtanga Yoga to being a mum to her young daughter Ananda. Claire holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations, a master’s degree in Linguistics from the University of Sydney, Australia, and a Post Graduate qualification in English Language Teaching from Cambridge University, England. She also worked for over a decade as a University Professor. With such a solid foundation as an adult educator, Claire excels at meeting her students (of both yoga and linguistics) at where they are and extending them comfortably beyond where they can take themselves.
While at Ulpotha, Claire will be teaching a morning asana class (ashtanga based – but open to all levels of students – from complete beginners to more seasoned practitioners. Claire will guide each student individually according to their unique level and needs). Afternoon sessions will be dedicated to rest, relaxation and rejuvenation with a mix of pranayama (breathing techniques), sound healing (Sanskrit singing and bansuri playing), philosophy discussions and storytelling from the great epics of the Mahabharat and the Ramayana and their relevance to a modern, western lifestyle.
