Jonas Westring

Contact Information   
Email: jonas@shantaya.org
Phone: +66897573050 (Thailand)
Website: www.shantaya.org


Schedule  
Wild Rose Studio 

 

Day Time Additional Notes
Sunday 9:00am - 9:00am Anusara classes in Chiang Mai during the 'high season' from late Oct to early March (except during retreat weeks). Please find schedules at www.shantaya.org and respective studios including - Wild Rose Yoga: www.wildroseyoga.org | Namo Chiang Mai: www.namochiangmai.com | Be Yoga: www.beyoga-chiangmai.com


Events  
No events found.


Professional Background  



Yoga Background  
Jonas left his native Sweden as a teenager and began extensive world travels. Fascinated by the multitude of exotic cultures he came across in the East, he ventured off on an adventurous soul search to many extraordinary places. During this time he began exploring a variety of body-mind practices such as yoga, meditation and bodywork. After many years of intensive travels Jonas decided to pursue an academic study that would align with his interests in body-mind practices. In the early 90's he received a degree in physiotherapy from Lund University in Sweden, followed by a US Physical Therapy license in 1995. A wide range of holistic modalities have been informative to his understanding of health and healing. They include physiotherapy, yoga, Thai healing practices, Buddhist insight meditation, Tantra, Acupuncture, Shiatsu, Feldenkrais method, Cranio-sacral therapy, Tai chi chuan, Chi kung, Contact improvisation dance, Antroposophy and Eurythmi, and more. After delwing into a multitude of avenues for self-exploaration and healing - Yoga and Bodywork and Therapeutics have become his key practices!

Jonas has been practicing yoga and meditation since 1981 - at the time of this writing that is 3 decades ago! His very first teachers were Hari Prem and Swami Janakananda from the Scandinavian Yoga & Meditation School, offering no-nonsense teaching in the linage of world renowned Swami Satyananada Saraswati, founder of the Bihar School of Yoga in India. Amongst many inspirational teachers, the single most infuential teacher of tremendous capacity to whom Jonas owes deep gratitude is his main teacher, the founder of Anusara yoga John Friend. His grand vision, spirit of encouragement and support, extraordinary educational wealth is outstanding. Another profound inspiration is Richard Freeman, who models the mindful path of a yogi with such grace. Many other traditions have helped inspire Jonas and shape his path of yoga. He is grateful for the personal experiences he has had with Mata Amritananda Mayi, Ananda Marga, Iskcon, Dharmavir Singh Mahida, TKV Desikachar, BNS Iyengar, Kofi Busia, Glenn Black, Sharon Gannon & David Life, Ana Forest, Shiva Rea, Sivananda Yoga, Kripalu Yoga, Integrative Yoga Therapy - and with many more yet to mention that the list would be far too long.


Questions and Answers   

Q: What other hobbies do you have aside from yoga practice?
A: Music, chanting, guitar playing. Nature, hiking, the outdoors. Cooking, super/power foods, eating it! Have a dream of living on a sailboat sometime during this lifetime.

Q: What is the title of a book that you have read recently that you could strongly recommend?
A: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. A super inspiring book that makes you want to grow your own food and at the same time tells us what's really going on in the industrial-food pipeline and how it affects the world in which we live. It speaks a truth that awakens us to make even better "eco-socially" responsible choices for ourselves, our community, and the planet. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts is another book I recently read. This amazing 900-page novel is a must for anyone who has even been to India, and those who haven't been probably want to go after the read.

Q: What is one of your all-time favorite movies?
A: Gandhi!

Q: What is one place that you would like to visit in the world? Why?
A: Bhutan is still on my wish list. Because the energy of the Himalayas is so special, and the fact that Bhutan has not been overly exploited by tourism. Interestingly - this needs an edit - as I just spend 50 days in Bhutan!

Q: What's your favorite color?
A: Green seems to take me away.

Q: What award in high school should you have won?
A: As I bailed out early from school in the wild and wonderful Scandinavian 70's, I deserved no award whatsoever..

Q: What is one of the funniest incidents that occurred in one of your yoga classes?
A: I was kicked in the head once while in a handstand - not in my own class but as a student in a New York city vinyasa yoga situation.. no damaged done though. Once I had a student arrive directly from an army base in Iraq to a month-long yoga teacher training in Thailand. He lay flat on his mat sleeping for several days before coming to his senses. Once awake he turned out to be a great student who claimed that being introduced to vegetarian food was to him a profound transformation of awareness. He then shared yoga in Iraq for some time thereafter but then left the army..