About Sofia

Teaching movement has been my passion from a very young age, and I can now count on over 30 years teaching experience. I started teaching ballet alone, then added Pilates and Yoga.

Yoga

I started practicing Yoga in Lisbon with ex-dancer, Pilates, and Yoga expert Stephanie Ross-Russell in 2006, with whom I share a longstanding friendship and career path. When she left to Oxford, U.K., I carried on working with Clara Rolim. Currently, I attend Senior Iyengar Yoga teacher Billy Konrad’s classes and workshops.
I took the three year Advanced Studies in Iyengar Yoga teacher’s training course between 2013 and 2016, being awarded the Base 2 Certificate in 2017. Having graduated from Base 2, I am now qualified to take the 2 year Junior Level Immersion course held by Billy Konrad which started this September.  Meanwhile, I have attended workshops with senior teachers Christian Pisano, Patxi Lizard, and Stéphane Lalo in Portugal, France, and Spain.
Teaching Yoga has been a privilege as it is where I can share with my wonderful students the fascinating process of searching for new ways of moving, as well as the infinite ways of connecting different points of the body with each other, and above all, to be able to foster the necessary tools for personal, physical and mental growth.

Pilates

I am certified in Polestar Pilates method from Estúdio Filipa Mayer, where I have been working for 10 years. I continue to further my training in Pilates, and have attended courses in Portugal, Spain, England, and the USA. More recently I graduated in CoreAlign by Balance Body.

Ballet  

I started teaching Ballet when I was 18 years old (thirty years ago) while taking the Teacher’s Training Degree at Escola Superior de Dança, in Lisbon, Portugal.
I lived in London between 1992 and 1996. Besides teaching ballet to both children and adults, I took the Maestro Cecchetti Diploma and became a Fellow of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing.
While I was still enjoying my time in England, I was invited to join the staff of Escola de Dança do Conservatório Nacional. I accepted the post, and I now belong to the teacher’s board where I currently teach Ballet and Pilates. At this school I have the chance to work with future dancers who work professionally from a very young age and who reach a high standard of performance.
After moving to Portugal in 1996, and with my unrelenting teaching spirit, I travelled every year for ten years, mostly to England, but also to Italy, and the USA, to develop my studies in the Cecchetti method.

IYENGAR YOGA

"The yogi never neglects or mortifies the body or the mind, but cherishes both" - B.K.S. Iyengar

B.K.S. Iyengar was one of the world's most respected yoga teachers. Widely credited as the person that brought yoga to the West, his teaching practice has been hugely influential over decades.

Iyengar Yoga, named after and developed by B. K. S. Iyengar, is a form of Hatha Yoga that has an emphasis on detail, precision and alignment in the performance of posture (asana) and breath control (pranayama). The development of strength, mobility and stability is gained through the asanas.

B.K.S. Iyengar has systematised over 200 classical yoga poses and 14 different types of Pranayama (with variations of many of them) ranging from the basic to advanced. This helps ensure that students progress gradually by moving from simple poses to more complex ones and develop their mind, body and spirit through a step-by-step approach.
Iyengar Yoga often makes use of props, such as belts, blocks, and blankets, as aids in performing asanas (postures). The props enable students to perform the asanas correctly, minimising the risk of injury or strain, and making the postures accessible to both young and old.

Through the practice of Yoga one accesses aspects of the personality that can enrich and help overcome life’s challenges. The practice of the Asanas improves the functioning of the organs, the fluidity of movement and the quality of the breath.
Yoga develops resilience, and works the body to its full potential. With a clearer and quieter mind one has a chance to explore new paths of motion, which create and find space both in the body and the mind. Creating space for better breathing, and for Prana (vital energy) to flow, thereby attenuating the “counter-actions” and resistance characteristics of the Mind/Body complex.

Studio

The Space

The “Yoga no Moinho” studio’s main aim is to promote the regular and consistent teaching of the art of Yoga. It is a bright space, benefitting from Lisbon’s famous natural sunlight, with a calm environment that holds up to six students.

The Classes

The classes are small with a limited number of six students. The approach is individualized taking in consideration any special requirements a student might have when performing the Asanas.

The Pupil

During classes, the pupil must wear comfortable clothing, with as snug a fit as possible, to help the teacher correct movements, and must be barefoot.

The Props

It is equipped with genuine Iyengar method props, such as a rope wall, blankets, belts, bricks, ballsters, and weights. Students buy their own sticky mats which can be left at the studio.

Health in Motion

Get in touch

Sofia Santiago

Travessa do Moinho de Vento,
Estrela,
Lisboa,
Portugal

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