gregor maehle

For regular updates on Gregor's books, trainings, retreats and workshops please "Like" Gregor's Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/gregor.maehle.

Gregor started his Yogic practices 30 years ago. In the mid-80’s he commenced yearly travels to India where he studied with various yogic and tantric masters and traditional Indian sadhus. Amongst others he studied for 14 months with K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India, and in 1997 was authorized by him to teach. Since then he has branched out into research of the anatomical alignment of postures and practising the higher limbs of Yoga. He obtained his anatomical knowledge through a German Health Practitioner degree and has also studied History, Philosophy and Comparative Religion at German universities.

In India Gregor also received eight months of mostly one-on-one instruction in scripture and the higher limbs of Yoga from BNS Iyengar, a student of T. Krishnamacharya. Additionally he studied Sanskrit under Professor Narayanachar and Dr. Chandrasekhar. Gregor lived several years as a recluse, spending his days studying Sanskrit, yogic scripture and practising yogic techniques. Together with his wife, Monica, in 1996 he founded 8 Limbs in Perth. Today, along with maintaining a daily practice of the Primary, Intermediate and Advanced series of Ashtanga Yoga postures, Gregor’s main focus is Pranayama, Kundalini and Meditation.

Gregor published 'Ashtanga Yoga, Practice and Philosophy' and 'Ashtanga Yoga, The Intermediate Series', which have sold over 50,000 copies and have been translated into several foreign languages. Gregor has been invited to many countries to teach and has contributed to and has been interviewed by numerous yoga magazines. His 2012 publication Pranayama The Breath of Yoga has set a new benchmark in the practice of yogic breathing. His latest book Yoga Meditation: Through Mantra, Chakras and Kundalini to Spiritual Freedom was published in March 2013. He is currently working on books on Sankalpa and Bhakti.

Gregor is registered as a senior teacher with both Yoga Alliance (ERYT500) and Yoga Australia (Level 3 membership). Today Gregor teaches an anatomically sophisticated interpretation of traditional vinyasa yoga, integrated into the practice of the higher limbs in the spirit of Patanjali and T. Krishnamacharya. His zany sense of humour, his manifold personal experiences, his vast and in depth knowledge of scripture, Indian philosophies and yogic techniques combine to make Gregor’s teachings applicable, relevant and easily accessible to all his students.

Apart from directing the 8 Limbs studio in Perth Gregor offers workshops in Perth, Australia-wide and in Asia, USA and Europe. Together with his wife Monica he also offers a 4-week Teacher Training Intensive in Bali and part-time Teacher Trainings in Perth, Melbourne and Gold Coast. He endeavours to make his Teacher Training available worldwide.

Consultations with Gregor

Gregor offers the following services through the medium of the internet. These are especially suitable for those who do not have a senior teacher available locally:

1. Half hour consult $119 (Australian Dollars)

Ideal for general and simple questions about your practice and yoga or general problems of limited scope. You send me your questions or problems in writing and I may ask you specific questions. You will then obtain a written report. These questions or problems may be related to any aspects of your yoga practice not just asana. If your question is beyond my scope I will refund your money.

2. One Hour Consult $199 (Australian Dollars)

Ideal for those who need technical support with a specific problem in their yoga practice, i.e. knee injuries, low back problems, shoulder problems etc. or obstacles that prevent them from developing their practice further. This will typically mean that you send me a series of photographs of you and your practice with questions pertaining to the problem at hand. You will obtain a written report containing an analysis of your problem, potential causes and contributing factors, your problem in a yogic context as well as yoga therapy options, injury rehabilitation and solutions.

3. Initial Video Consult of your entire practice $499 (Australian Dollars)

You send me a video recording of your entire practice. I will analyse it step by step, vinyasa for vinyasa and asana for asana. I will prepare a detailed written report with suggestions for change or improvement. I will analyse pace, alignment, precision and will also scan for structural weaknesses and how they might be improved, for example shifting more emphasis towards backbending, forward bending or arm-balances. You are likely to get much more feedback in this session than from attending many yoga classes.

4. Follow-up Video Consult of your entire practice $399 (Australian Dollars)

Once you are confident that you have implemented a significant part of my suggestions you may book a follow-up consult. I will then analyse whether you need to go further into the direction previously suggested or whether a secondary layer of issues has surfaced that now needs your attention.

Please note the following advantage to this teaching method:

You will obtain a written report that you can study over and over again until you are sure that you have implemented all of my suggestions. During general yoga classes the students are often too preoccupied with their existing practice to be really open for change and suggestions and there is only a certain number of suggestions that you will be able to retain. Similarly the teacher has limited time at their disposal as other students are waiting for adjustments.