The Teacher
About Mannu
Mannu started practicing Yoga in 2010, but it wasn't until 2012 that he dived deep into the Ashtanga method. From that point on, he has maintained an uninterrupted daily practice. The practice became the centre of his life — not as a philosophy or a lifestyle brand, but as a discipline.
In 2014 he moved to Asia, making it easier to return to Mysore, India to study at KPJAYI with his then teacher, Sharath Jois — five three-month trips over the years. Since 2016, Mannu has been teaching daily Mysore-style Ashtanga Yoga in Koh Phangan, Thailand from his home shala: Jangalika — House of Ashtanga Yoga.
Mannu skilfully adapts and tailors this powerful, traditional method to suit each practitioner's process. He's not interested in rigid dogma or spiritual performance. The practice works — that's what matters.
His teaching is deeply infused with an almost obsessive love of the natural world and the realisation that everything is connected. Not in a bumper-sticker way — in a real, tangible, get-your-hands-dirty way.
"Deep within ourselves, as in the whole Universe, there is a natural organic intelligence that creates and connects all that is. There really is nothing there to learn, only remember."
When he's not practising or teaching, you'll find Mannu roaming the wilderness of Koh Phangan, swimming in waterfalls or the ocean, or playing one of his musical instruments to a sunset by the beach.
The Three Foundations
The Ashtanga method rests on three interlocking elements — not concepts, but lived experience.
Breath
Free Breathing with Sound
Not a controlled technique or a forced constriction of the throat. Free, natural breathing that produces a soft internal sound — the body's own rhythm.
Posture & Bandha
Form and Inner Lock
The physical form of each posture, held together by bandha — the energetic engagement that gives the practice its stability and direction.
Drishti
The Gazing Point
A specific looking or gazing point for each posture. Where the eyes rest, the mind follows. Drishti draws attention inward and anchors the practice.
Background
Study at KPJAYI
Mannu studied directly with R. Sharath Jois at the Krishna Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore, India — five separate three-month trips over the years. He is not KPJAYI authorised; his credentials are his years of uninterrupted practice, study, and the direct transmission he received from his teachers.
Mentors & Inspiring Teachers
Beyond his years in Mysore with Sharath Jois, Mannu's path has been deeply shaped by three teachers who have been both mentors and a source of lasting inspiration: Mauricio Victorica, with whom he studied and assisted closely; Iain Gryzak, another principal teacher and guide; and Rolf Naujokat, whose influence on Mannu's understanding of the practice has been profound — even without the formal context of assisting.
Traditional Mysore Style Program
Since 2016, Mannu has been running a traditional Mysore style program at Jangalika — House of Ashtanga Yoga in Koh Phangan, Thailand. Daily practice, individual guidance, and a genuine commitment to the method as it was taught.