Konstantinos Tournas
“Yoga is not practising asanas with the body, but with the soul.”
Konstantinos Tournas has been devoted to the path of Yoga since 2006 and has been teaching continuously since 2007. Based in Heraklion, Crete, his daily practice and teaching express a lifelong devotion to Yoga as a holistic, spiritual and experiential practice.
His path in Yoga began with his own personal experience in the very first class he attended: an experience that became one of the first and most important influences on the journey that followed.
Teaching in nature
“When I was 21 I had a lot of inner questions, and I happened to take a yoga class where I had a very powerful experience. I felt my body more alive than ever, an inner peace and fulfilment, and a deep calm. So I felt that this is what I want to do in my life: to become a better person, to realise who I am and to help those around me by teaching yoga.”
A lifelong apprenticeship
GOA · MAY 2018
His search then led him to India five times, where he studied with teachers who have devoted their whole lives to Yoga and its different dimensions. A decisive milestone on his path came in May 2018, when he studied intensively in Goa for three weeks with Rolf and Marci Naujokat. This experience opened up a new and deeper way of understanding the depth, the intelligence and the healing power of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga.
ART OF LIVING ASHRAM · BLACK FOREST, GERMANY
In 2009 he completed a one-year residential and training programme at the Art of Living Ashram in Germany, in the Black Forest. There, under the guidance of the internationally renowned spiritual teacher H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, he trained in Haṭha, Prāṇāyāma, relaxation techniques, meditation and mantras.
The programme also included periods of silence, Āyurveda, nutrition and healing practices. He describes this period as deeply transformative, luminous and especially creative.
He is a certified Art of Living teacher, authorised to teach Sudarśhan Kriyā, a powerful and unique breathing technique. For the next two years he ran the Art of Living Center in Hamburg, where he taught daily yoga and meditation classes as well as breathing seminars.
At the same time, he studied classical texts of the yogic tradition, such as the Yoga-sūtras of Patañjali, the Aṣṭāvakragītā and the Nārada Bhakti Sūtras, under the guidance of H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
GRANADA, SPAIN
In 2012 he moved to Granada, Spain. There he continued teaching for about a year, while coming into deeper contact with the city's unique culture, its music and the warmth of its people.
CRETE
Returning to Crete in 2013, he completed trainings in Thai Massage and Reiki. At the same time, he took part in a seven-year cycle of group psychotherapy, broadening his understanding of the human psyche and of healing processes.
PRANIC HEALING
In 2015 he completed the Pranic Healing seminars, at the Preparatory Archatic Yogi level, a powerful energy healing system applied without physical contact.
BENGALURU, INDIA
In 2017, during his second trip to Bengaluru, India, he was initiated into Upanayanam, an ancient Indian ceremony that marks the entry into knowledge and the study of the sacred tradition.
MALLORCA, SPAIN
Drawn to the healing and meditative power of stillness, he trained in Yin Yoga. In June 2019 he completed the Yoga Alliance certified Yin Yoga teacher training in Mallorca, having personally experienced the deep healing benefits of the practice.
CHENNAI, INDIA
Seeking a deeper connection with the roots of the tradition, in February 2020 he travelled to Chennai, India, where he studied with Srivatsa Ramaswami, the student with the longest apprenticeship with Sri T. Krishnamacharya outside the teacher's immediate family.
There he completed, and was authorised for, the Advanced 100-hour Vinyasa Krama Yoga Teacher Training. He was deeply inspired by the clarity, authenticity and simplicity of the method, which has since been an integral part of his daily practice.
He continues to study with Srivatsa Ramaswami through online seminars and the study of the Yoga Rahasya.
BOULDER, COLORADO, USA
With a deep commitment to lifelong learning, in July 2023 he took part in an intensive, one-month teacher training programme with Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor in Boulder, Colorado, in the United States.
This training brought out the inwardly oriented dimensions of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga, with an emphasis on intelligent and conscious practice and on awakening the innate intelligence of the body and the mind.
The programme also included a human body anatomy workshop, offering a deeper understanding of anatomy, the muscles, the fascia and the internal organs. He was also introduced to Tibetan seated meditation, which helped him understand its importance.
PORTUGAL
In September 2024 in Portugal he completed the Yin Yoga Teacher Training Intensive (Secondary Level) with Sarah and Ty Powers. It is a comprehensive training that combines Yoga, Buddhism, Taoism and interpersonal psychology.
This training further enriched his ability to combine long-held Yin postures, awareness of the meridians and the internal organs, the practice of inquiry and conscious flow, creating a unified, meaningful and human-centred approach.
OPENING THE HEART
He regularly practises and leads kirtan, which he considers essential for opening the heart and cultivating devotion.
“ΟΜΙΛΟΣ ΜΕΛΕΤΩΝ” STUDY GROUP
Since October 2025 he has been an active member of the philosophical study group “Όμιλος Μελετών”. Through his participation in the group he continues to deepen his understanding of Yoga as a holistic path towards the recognition of the True Self.
His study and practice within the group focus mainly on Advaita Vedanta, enriching both his personal sādhanā and his teaching with clarity, discernment and non-dual understanding.
The Yogaayam studio
In Crete, with an open heart
Konstantinos lives in Crete, where he offers daily Yoga classes in Heraklion, as well as Yoga retreats in various parts of Europe and India.
He teaches with humility, depth and deep respect for the tradition, while keeping a modern, open and experiential space for learning.
The first step is a breath
Whether you are coming into contact with yoga for the first time or already have a steady practice, at Yogaayam you will find a supportive and welcoming environment.