From Norway to Nepal with Ellen Johannesen
Our guest today is a lovely Elvish woman, who could’ve easily descended from a family of Wood Nymphs. Ellen Johannesen was born in Norway but has spent many years living abroad, mainly in India and Nepal. She was first introduced to yoga during her career as a professional dancer and has been teaching now for over 20 years.
In 2002, she co-founded the first Ashtanga studio in Oslo, Norway, where she headed up the Mysore program. However, her time in India led to a growing interest in Buddhism, which brought her back to live and study for three years in Bylakuppe, at a Tibetan Monastery and Tibetan refugee settlement. She subsequently moved to Kathmandu where she became a Tibetan translator and earned a Masters degree in Buddhist studies and Himalayan Languages from Kathmandu University. During this time she founded the first Mysore program in the center of Kathmandu where she lived and taught for seven years.
Ellen also studied Sanskrit, which was traditionally widely used among the Nepali Brahmin population and the Newar Buddhists. More recently, she has returned to Norway, but continues to take students on transformational retreats, where you can practice Ashtanga yoga and go trekking in the spiritual hub of the Himalayas. She loves sharing some of her favourite places around and beyond the Kathmandu valley, while introducing students to the sacred sites and natural beauty that is Nepal.
The Finding Harmony Podcast is hosted, edited and produced by Harmony Slater and co-hosted by Russell Case.
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Opening and closing music compliments of my dear friend teaching Ashtanga yoga in Eindhoven, Nick Evans, with his band “dawnSong” from the album “for Morgan.” Listen to the entire album on Spotify - Click Here.
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