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ASHTANGA YOGA ALCOBENDAS is a cultural association whose purpose is to integrate the physical practice of yoga with the study of its ancient philosophy.
Open since 2013
WHAT IS AṢṬĀṄGA YOGA VINYĀSA
Aṣṭāṅga Yoga is a form of Hatha Yoga (“physical yoga”) practiced through movements coordinated with the breath (Vinyāsa). In its most traditional form, it is practiced as an assisted self-practice, known as the “Mysore style.” This means an open class for all practitioners—whether beginners or experienced students—where instruction is given individually to each person. It is an assisted class in which the teacher adjusts and guides the practice according to the needs of each student.
In our śāla, we practice Aṣṭāṅga Vinyāsa exclusively in this way: without excessive artificial lighting, working slowly, systematically, and progressively, learning to connect movement with breath and cultivating a state of deep attention. In this way, progress happens gradually, integrating the practice in a realistic and balanced manner, according to one’s own psychophysical condition. Our approach emphasizes the meditative aspect of the practice, placing physical achievements in the background.
The śāla offers a carefully maintained space, with attention to every detail, so that the practice can unfold in silence and with minimal sensory stimulation. Through silence and concentration, the mental state conducive to the absorption of the mind in the Self is strengthened.
Our Mysore program runs from Monday to Friday. The śāla remains closed on weekends, as well as on new moon and full moon days.
Women are also encouraged to rest from practice during the first three days of the menstrual cycle.
SCHEDULE
The schedule indicates the start and end times for practice. Within this timeframe, you can come whenever you like. The last entry indicates the final admission time to complete your practice at 9:30 AM. Practice generally takes an hour and a half, however, there are no time limits as long as you practice within the indicated hours. This format allows you to practice at your own pace. Instruction is ALWAYS individualized.
ANNA COSTANZA
Honoring the feminine

Born in Milan in 1974, into a family of four sisters, I grew up surrounded by a feminine environment that early on nurtured listening, sensitivity, and a sense of belonging to my lineage. At the age of 20, I began my spiritual search—a journey that took me across different lands, from Australia to the United Kingdom—until in 1997 I found a home in London, a city that marked a fundamental point of initiation in my path.
It was there that I first came into contact with yoga, at the Śivananda Vedānta Yoga Centre, and where a profound relationship with the practice as a path of embodied knowledge awakened.
In 2003, I decided to dedicate my life to the study and teaching of yoga, embracing it as both a vocation and a means of transmission. I am a mother of two children, an experience that radically transformed my understanding of the body, time, surrender, and spiritual practice.
After exploring various approaches to yoga, as well as Zen Buddhism and other paths, in 2007 I chose to focus on Aṣṭāṅga Yoga Vinyāsa, a demanding discipline that taught me both structure and deep listening.
In 2006, I founded my first yoga school, a project that matured until 2013 into Ashtanga Yoga Alcobendas, a living space dedicated to research, sustained practice, and the conscious transmission of this tradition.
Between 2013 and 2022, I traveled annually to Mysore, India, to study at KPJAYI under the guidance of Saraswathi, daughter of Pattabhi Jois, receiving from her not only instruction but the testimony of a direct feminine transmission within the Aṣṭāṅga lineage. During those years, I assisted in the institute’s classes and, in 2017, organized Saraswathiji’s visit to Madrid, creating a living bridge between cultures, generations, and teaching styles.
Driven by the need to inhabit the practice from a place more honest and aligned with my bodily reality, I began a new search that led me to Sharmila Desai, a teacher through whom I found a form of transmission deeply respectful of the body’s rhythms and feminine intelligence. Since 2019, I travel annually to Goa, India, to practice under her guidance.
Since 2017, I have been continuously sharing studies on Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras at various schools in Spain, approaching philosophy not as abstract knowledge but as a living tool for discernment and liberation. My love for Sanskrit sustains this path: above all, I remain a dedicated student of this ancient language, which preserves the memory of wisdom.
My current project, Nomad Sādhana, was born as a platform for the systematic and embodied study of Sāṃkhya philosophy, the Yoga Sūtras, the Bhagavad Gītā, and the Upaniṣads—approached from a perspective that honors tradition while valuing direct experience.
My life is devoted to sharing the teachings of yoga with those who feel called to explore their own truth, from a place free of conditioning, in dialogue with the body, consciousness, and the lineage—especially the feminine—that sustains and precedes us.

NEW
ANNUAL COURSE STUDY OF THE YOGA SUTRAS
2024-2025
We propose to offer a course of continued study of the text “Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali” for 9 weekends in order to be able to study in sufficient depth the content of this fabulous Yoga manual.
The course aims to bring into practice and everyday life the methods that the author exposes in the text to understand the reality of the mind and achieve the true nature of the self.
Course structure:
One morning a month, Saturday from October to June.
Hours: Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali are the fundamental text of the yoga system, where matter and consciousness are thoroughly investigated in order to understand the true nature of the being.
Patañjali describes various ways to achieve peace of mind, a fundamental requirement for self-realization, taking into account the different mentalities of practitioners.
These Sūtras are both one of the oldest explorations into the workings of the human mind and a manual of practice completely relevant today.
Being written in the form of aphorisms, they require interpretation for a clear understanding of their meaning.
In our courses, we use the traditional commentary of Vyāsa, also relying on the subcommentaries of Śaṃkara, Vācaspati Miśra, Bhoja Rāja, Vijñānabhikshu and Hariharānanda.
The course includes teaching the text, guided meditation practices and spaces for dialogue and reflection.
FROM OCTOBER 2024 TO JUNE 2025
One Saturday a month in format:
* IN PERSON. The course will be given at the Ashtanga Yoga Alcobendas school when it will be given from Madrid.
Location may vary.
*ONLINE LIVE ON ZOOM
on the platform: www.nomadsadhana.com
*ONLINE DELIVERED on the platform
www.nomadsadhana.com
Possibility of signing up for the entire course!
Meeting dates:
October 5 (Madrid)
November 9 (Madrid)
December 7 (Goa)
January 4 (Goa)
February 8 (Madrid)
March 8 (Madrid)
April 12 (Madrid)
May 10 (Madrid)
June 7 (Madrid)
Reading of the Bhagavad Gītā 2025-2026

This year I will offer a reading from the Bhagavad Gītā every Tuesday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. from October to June.
All the info and registration on the platform: www.nomadsadhana.com
Study of the Sāṃkhyakārikā, the stanzas of the Sāṃkhya

Study of the stanzas of the Sāṃkhya of Īśvarakṛṣṇa
This course offers an in-depth introduction to Samkhya thought through the study of the verses of Ishvarakrishna. It is an essential tool for familiarizing yourself with the technical vocabulary and metaphysics that permeate most texts of the Indian tradition. Starting with this text will allow you to more clearly understand other works that draw upon this philosophical perspective.
All sessions will be broadcast live and recorded on the Nomad Sadhana platform, where they will be available for one year.
Special discount when combining this course with the Yoga Sutras or Bhagavad Gita course.
You can register at: www.nomadsadhana.com
Upanishad


Study of the Upanishads: Isha and Kena
This year, we will integrate the study of texts with the reading and reflection of two fundamental Upanishads: the Isha and the Kena. Though brief, these teachings are remarkably profound, offering a powerful synthesis of the non-dual vision that permeates the entire Vedic tradition. They are concise yet extremely rich and inspiring texts.
Īśa Upaniṣad
Every Thursday in February 2026
Schedule: 6:00 PM to 7:15 PM
Kena Upanishad
Every Thursday in May 2026
Schedule: 6:00 PM to 7:15 PM
All classes will be taught live online and will be recorded so you can access them at any time through the Nomad Sadhana platform, where they will be available for one year.
You can register at: www.nomadsadhana.com
Summer retreat 2024 and upcoming initiation courses to Yoga Sūtras in Spain
27-28-29 de Febrero 2026 en Ashtanga Yoga Tenerife
info y reserva: www.ashtangayogatenerife.com (Griselda)
13-14-15 Marzo 2026 en Ashtanga Yoga Murcia
info y reserva: www.laurapradayoga.com (Laura Prada)
27-28-29 de Marzo 2026 en Ashtanga Yoga Barcelona
info y reserva, Elena Figarola: www.ashtangayogabcn.com
17-18-19 de Abril 2026 en Svatma Ashtanga Yoga Lleida
info y reserva: www.svatmayoga.com (Soraya)
30 Abril- 3 de Mayo 2026 : RETIRO EN AMALURRA con Nines y Fernando de Ashtanga Yoga Bilbao
info y reserva: www.ashtangayogabilbao.com
22-23-24 de Mayo en Tenerife Ashtanga Yoga
Info y reserva: www.tenerifeashtangashala.com
(Ana Lestard)
CONTINUOUS STUDY AND MONITORING OF PRACTICE
IN ALICANTE:
Study of the Yoga Sutras and following the Ashtanga practice:
September 5-6-7
October 31st, November 1st and 2nd
February 13-14-15, 2026
April 17-18-19
June 26-27-28
Info and booking: Whatsapp 652 34 20 96 (Isabel)

SUMMER RETREAT


LUNAR CALENDAR 2026
During full moon days, there is significant physical and mental agitation, which increases the risk of injury.
On new moon days, energy is lower and the body feels heavier. For this reason, we rest from practice on these dates.
JANUARY – Saturday 3, Sunday 18
FEBRUARY – Sunday 1, Tuesday 17
MARCH – Tuesday 3, Wednesday 18
APRIL – Wednesday 1, Friday 17
MAY – Friday 1, Saturday 16, Saturday 30
JUNE – Sunday 14, Monday 29
JULY – Tuesday 14, Wednesday 29
AUGUST – Wednesday 12, Thursday 27
SEPTEMBER – Thursday 10, Saturday 26
OCTOBER – Saturday 10, Sunday 25
NOVEMBER – Sunday 8, Tuesday 24
DECEMBER – Tuesday 8, Wednesday 23













