Hi, I’m Diana
I’m not whole, and I’m not finished.
You’ll probably recognize me best by the way I never quite fit into any mold.
I walk the side paths, the ones that aren’t always paved with peace and white linen, but more often with worn leather jackets and deep inner work.
And still, I love this weave of mess and beauty that only a fully lived life can offer.
I’m 45, and yoga has been in my life for over 25 years.
Not as a hobby, but as a way of life.
As my life raft.
Yoga, to me, is not about pretty shapes or moments curated for social media.
It’s a way to survive.
A way to see beauty, inside myself and in the world around me.
I can’t imagine a day without it.
Even though I’ve had the honor of teaching thousands of students, in both Finland and Australia, I never stop being a student myself.
Not because I know nothing, but because life keeps unfolding.
Many may call me a teacher, but I still stand humbly as a student on this path, always one step away from the next insight.
I believe we each carry a battlefield within us,
just like in the ancient text of Bhagavad Gita.
We’re all a little broken.
Each of us holds both light and shadow.
On that battlefield march the dark forces:
insecurity, fear, anger, self-doubt.
They show up strong and loud, every day.
But there are good warriors too.
Grace. Love. Kindness.
There may not be many of them,
but sometimes one gentle warrior is enough.
One kind thought.
One conscious breath.
One small moment where you choose yourself, even just for a second.
We don’t have to win the whole war.
Sometimes, it’s enough to simply stand on the side of that one good thing.
New demons still rise and whisper to me: “You’re not perfect.”
And that’s okay, because I’m not chasing perfection.
I’m chasing truth.
I’m an ordinary woman trying to share what has helped me stay afloat,
what has made my heart shine, and what has allowed my body to exhale,
because it felt heard.
I want to share the practices, the moments, and the words that have helped me.
Maybe they’ll help you too.
Maybe they’ll give you the strength to turn toward the light, just for today.
If you’re longing for a gentle, sacred space to come back to yourself,
you’re warmly welcome to my studio in Herttoniemenranta, Helsinki:
www.dia-yoga.com
My YouTube channel: youtube.com/@diayoga
Wishing you glimmers of light in your day,
b Yours in yoga, Diana
My Journey:
I started Dia-Yoga in Australia Perth 2012. After 9 years in Australia, I moved back to Finland and continue to run Dia-Yoga from Helsinki.
My path of yoga started 2002 in Finland. At Ashtanga Yoga Helsinki, with the guidance of internationally known ashtangi Petri Räisänen.
I have practised Astanga, Vinyasa Flow, Hatha, Iyengar, Bikram, Yin and Restorative Yoga in different yoga studios around the world, but Vinyasa Flow and Yin Yoga are the styles of yoga I practice the most.
In 2006, I travelled around India, volunteering. This is where I truly found the deeper meaning of yoga. I decided to take my love of yoga further in 2012. I went back to India and graduated in Yoga Alliance Registered Teacher Training at the Himalaya Yoga Valley. I successfully completed 200 H and became qualified to teach traditional Ashtanga yoga with Iyengar alignments, Meditation, Chanting and Pranayama.
Whilst studying I had the honour to be a student of Yogacharya Lalit. Lalit Kumar is the Founding Director of Himalaya Yoga Valley Centre and the Honorary Secretary for International Yoga Federation for Ireland and Dharamsala.
My hunger for knowledge and my curious nature drove me to develop my practice futher. October 2014 I graduated from ASI (Academy of surfing instructors), Australia, as a stand up paddle board instructor and stand up paddle board yoga teacher. I worked 2015 for Elemental SUP, teaching classes on Swan River.
In December 2014 I graduated from Santosha Yoga School in Bali as a pre- & postnatal, kids and teens yoga teacher training.
December 2016, I studied and graduated as advanced yoga teacher in a stunning and highly disciplined ashram in Mysore, India. Building up my 500 hours, with legendary teachers Krishna Chaitanya and Swami Prabodh Chaitanya.
My passion and love towards yoga is limitless. All the knowledge and strength, balance and peace, light and happiness it has given me is indescribable. It has healed me when I have been sick, it has brought me serenity and calm in the middle of the tornados of life.
I reach out for people who want to join me on the journey towards harmonized, healthy and peaceful lifestyle.
Being a yoga teacher has been my calling and to share the gift of yoga, to help people heal their minds and bodies... this is the fulfillment of my dreams. It is my Dharma, my purpose!
I am a dreamer, a smiler and an outdoorsy goofy.
I wish to bring smiles and joy to my classes, give my students a moment away from their daily routines, a new experience, a positive mind and energy to nurture their own well being.
My classes are always a bit different and challenging in a playful way. My classes are a mixture of my nature and what I have learnt throughout the years.. My approach to yoga is playful, flowing with integrity and challenges, yet soothing.
It is important for me to see every student as an individual, so I can help them to listen to their own body and step out of their comfort zone. I really want to invest in my student’s demands. I like to put effort in planning and in the execution of my classes. This will help suit the theme and the needs of the students, but I also trust my intuition and might go with the flow, and change the lesson part way through if I feel the needs of my students are not being met by the lesson planned.
The greatest gift I can receive from my student is a genuine joy. One of my biggest goals is to teach my students how to take their yoga off the mat, living with compassion and presence, towards themselves and others,
My teachers have been my Gurus on my path and from the bottom of my heart I would like to thank them.
I would like to thank India for the gift of yoga.
Last but not least I want to thank my students, for teaching me, for being my inspiration, my friends. Thank you for all the big smiles you put on my face every day xx
“I am first and foremost a student and I recognize all beings and nature as my teachers”.