Yoga teacher

The yoga teacher behind Shiva Shakti Yoga is called Maria Hallberg Äijä. Maria discovered Yoga in earnest in 2005 in China. She became a full-time student of Yoga in China and then in India for a year. At the same time, she studied Tai ji and Qi gong as a complement to a deeper understanding of the common foundations of these systems.

During this time, Maria studied Hatha Yoga under Indian teachers from Parmarth Niketan; Rishikesh and at Kaivalyadham (the world’s oldest yoga school). Maria has undergone yoga teacher training in connection with this. Maria has also studied under one of Iyengar’s senior teachers Zubin Zarthoshtimanesh in Mumbai (2007) and attended teacher training and advanced teacher training in Hatha Yoga Vinyasa under Matthew Coen (2006) and Max Strom (summer and autumn 2008).

2009, 2010,2012 Maria studied classical Indian dance under her teacher of classical Indian dance in India (Auroville), Rekha Tandon. Rekha Tandon is a PhD in dance and studies the connection between Yoga, Tantra and classical Indian dance. Maria has been studying this form of dance since 2002.

In 2013, Maria revisited Shri O.P Tiwari at a workshop in London with his son Shri Sudhir Tiwari. Maria then had contact with Sudhir in 2013 and revisited him at another workshop in London in 2014, and received private guidance from him until 2016. 

Maria completed a meditation teacher training under Sally Kempton in June 2015. (Sally Kempton was Swami in the Sidda Yoga tradition for 20 years.) Maria has since continued to study the Tantric tradition under Sally Kempton and received a personal transmission of this lineage by Sally Kempton.

Maria has been studying research in Tantra under Christopher Thompkins and Christopher Wallis, religious scholars focused on tantra and Sanskrit critics, since 2016.

2016 Maria started contact with Uma Inder, trained in the Laya Yoga tradition, in Bali. 

In 2017, Maria revisited her teacher of classical Indian dance in India, Rekha Tandon. Maria received personal guidance from Uma Inder.

2018 Maria participated in a training in synergistic Tantra, Yoga and Ayurveda (Satya) during Uma Inder. Maria continues to receive personal guidance from Uma Under.

Read more about Maria’s teaching style on the page “Teaching”.

Maria is a Licensed Psychotherapist – the understanding of inner processes in the mental life and in the emotional life is an ever-present part of the teaching. For more about Maria’s psychotherapeutic activities, see: www.aimterapi.se.

Maria has a lifetime of dancing behind her and has been practicing Indian temple dance since 2002, in ancient India a philosophical practice that shares the same roots as yoga and tantra. Maria is a student of Rekha Tandon Phd, who received traditional training from Mahadavi Mudgal and Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. Maria as well as Rekha teaches Odissi based on the tantric idea of kundalini shakti. If you are interested in teaching this art form and spiritual practice, contact Maria.