Kristina Karitinou posted these few lines on fb Saturday about her first Ashtanga teacher Linda Kapetaniou and the early days of Ashtanga in Greece ( and thus Europe). I asked her if I could post them here and if she had any pictures to go with then, as ever she was more than generous.
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"Linda Kapetaniou (left) was the first teacher of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga in Greece, Athens(Kifisia).
She taught the method over 5 years with the help of Periklis Christodoulopoulos at the "Yoga Centre Lotos" back in 1988.
Both were students of Derek Ireland and Lesley Warell( Randa) founders of the "Practice Place", the first Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Centre in Europe.
The first Greek student that visited Sri K. Pattabhi Joys in Mysore were Maria -Voula Tsakona. Next were Elleni Kyriakopoulou, Alexandra Dimitrioiu, Maria Papaioanou Lila Petrineli!
Most of us were students of Linda's! She gave us the right knowledge and tools to move on and become part of this magic!
The greeks where students of Lindas ( including me ) and all did practice with Guruji!
Me, I was the first Greek to have Guriji s blessings to teach !After few years Maria Tsakona, Maria Papaioanou as well!
All of us apart from Maria Papaioanou! All the rest with first Linda, where students of Derek and we where the first team of teachers to build Ashtanga community in Greece!
Linda thank you so much for teaching me, for trusting me and for giving me this life!!! the life of a teacher!
And in this life the most important path is the gratitude to the lineage"!
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Kristina Karitinou is a certified Ashtanga yoga teacher, and has been teaching through the tradition of Sri K Pattabhi Jois since 1991.
She was qualified as an Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga teacher by Derek Ireland and Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in 2002 and became Certified by Manju Pattabhi Jois in 2012. She has practiced intensively with R.Sharath Jois.
She teaches the Primary, Intermediate and Third Sequence and she offers classes, workshops, retreats and teacher trainings all year round in Greece, Europe and Asia. Kristina is happy to host workshops and teacher trainings with Manju Pattabhi Jois in Crete.
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Kristina’s work is a continuation of Derek Ireland’s teaching principles. Her work is dedicated to him. http://www.yogapractice.gr
"Linda Kapetaniou (left) was the first teacher of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga in Greece, Athens(Kifisia). She taught the method over 5 years with the help of Periklis Christodoulopoulos at the "Yoga Centre Lotos" back in 1988.
Both were students of Derek Ireland and Lesley Warell( Randa) founders of the "Practice Place", the first Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Centre in Europe.
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| The practice place ( More posts to come on Derek Ireland and The practice place) |
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| Derek Ireland adjusting |
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| Hamish hendry and John Scott in Derek Ireland's room |
The first Greek student that visited Sri K. Pattabhi Joys in Mysore were Maria -Voula Tsakona. Next were Elleni Kyriakopoulou, Alexandra Dimitrioiu, Maria Papaioanou Lila Petrineli!
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| Richard Freeman Michaell Anastassiades, Elleni kyriakopoulou and Kristina Karitinou |
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| Alexandra Dimitriou! |
Most of us were students of Linda's! She gave us the right knowledge and tools to move on and become part of this magic!
The greeks where students of Lindas ( including me ) and all did practice with Guruji!
Me, I was the first Greek to have Guriji s blessings to teach !After few years Maria Tsakona, Maria Papaioanou as well!
All of us apart from Maria Papaioanou! All the rest with first Linda, where students of Derek and we where the first team of teachers to build Ashtanga community in Greece!
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| Maria Tsakona, Maria Papaioanou, Lila Petrineli, Kristina Karitinou |
And in this life the most important path is the gratitude to the lineage"!
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Kristina Karitinou is a certified Ashtanga yoga teacher, and has been teaching through the tradition of Sri K Pattabhi Jois since 1991.She was qualified as an Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga teacher by Derek Ireland and Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in 2002 and became Certified by Manju Pattabhi Jois in 2012. She has practiced intensively with R.Sharath Jois.
She teaches the Primary, Intermediate and Third Sequence and she offers classes, workshops, retreats and teacher trainings all year round in Greece, Europe and Asia. Kristina is happy to host workshops and teacher trainings with Manju Pattabhi Jois in Crete.
Kristina’s work is a continuation of Derek Ireland’s teaching principles. Her work is dedicated to him. http://www.yogapractice.gr
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My earlier post on Derek Ireland
Tuesday, 14 May 2013
Sunday, 22 April 2012
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
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| Outside Kristina's Shala in Rethymno, Crete - Manju's TT course 2013 |
The picture on the door of Derek Ireland is the same as on the cover of the Fusion magazine edition devoted to him.
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| Read this edition of the magazine free courtesy of Yogamatters http://www.yogamatters.com/cmscontent/documents/Files/Derek%20Ireland.pdf |
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UPDATE
If this post is about lineage and about looking to the past, to Kristina's own teachers and the history of Ashtanga in Greece, I thought it might be nice to look to the present and the future also, this too is lineage.
The present
An excellent video from Alessandro Sigismondi shot on and around Manju's TT course at Kristina's Shala in Rethymno, Crete.
"A GREAT video about Zen meeting Ashtanga at our recent retreat in Rethymno, Greece. Wanna see the soft, wide world of yoga meet the laser-like technology of Zen? Please share this video! Please share this video! Just another amazing work of art by Alessandro Sigismondi.... "
Hyon Gak Sunim ( that's him, the monk, chanting in the Video)
The future
One of the things that struck me most about Manju's workshop held at Kristimna's shala this summer was how many of Kristina's students had returned again and again to take Manju's workshop, there was a sense of family, the help, guidance and quality of assists and adjustments was excellent.
Here's a link to Kristina's own Ashtanga teachers in Greece page many if not most of these teachers taught/trained by Kristina herself.