About Tania Kemou
Beginnings
I had my first encounter with Ashtanga Yoga in 2004 in my hometown Athens, Greece, under the guidance of Savvas Giantsis. In the years that followed I tried different styles but Ashtanga opened a whole new world to me. The tradition and history behind this practice, the strong commitment and dedication it requires fascinated me. The deep peace and healing I experienced were life changing. After moving to Paris in 2010 I started studying with Patrick Frapeau and continued in the years to come to deepen my practice with different senior teachers, among whom, Govinda Kai, Matthew Volmer, Mark Robberds and Laruga Glaser.
Diving deep
A few years already into the practice, a very difficult moment in my life forced me to dig deeper. I started studying the ancient texts of yoga philosophy in quest of meaning. That, along with the daily practice gradually made my horizons expand and brought me closer to my inner truth. I realised that yoga was about to become something much bigger than a daily physical practice; a life calling. Becoming a yoga teacher started turning from a dream into reality.
India
In 2017 my path led me to India. In Mysore I studied first with Saraswathi and later on with Sharath Jois - the daughter and the grandson of the late founder of Ashtanga Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. After my first trip to India, I decided to quit my job as a corporate lawyer and dedicate my life to studying and teaching yoga. Ever since then I have been returning to Mysore every year to study and honour the roots of this ancient practice. In February 2022 my teacher Sharath Jois granted me authorisation Level 1 and his blessing to teach. In December 2023 I had the immense honour to assist him in the Shala and in January 2024 I was granted authorisation Level 2 to teach the Intermediate Series of Ashtanga Yoga.
My approach to teaching
In my teachings I focus on the breath, as a unique path to harnessing the potential of the body and gradually getting to calm the mind. The way I experience it yoga goes beyond asana; yoga philosophy and how it is still relevant in modern life is one of the things I am passionate about and share with my students. My teaching is tightly knit to the tradition but not dogmatic. My wish is to accompany the students on their journey towards a deeper awareness, help them acknowledge and celebrate their uniqueness and show them that with practice, transformation is possible. By sharing the practice of Ashtanga yoga I seek to empower students to become confident and free, unleash their full potential and live a conscious, healthy and meaningful life.