My introduction to yoga and mindful meditation began after studying Political Science in Rome and moving to Milan in 1997 to specialize in the competitive field of design. It was part of my search for balancing a busy lifestyle between Milan and London that has drawn me to commit and explore traditional yoga and meditation.
In 2006 I traveled for the first time in China and Southeast Asia, consequently in South India. The experience that changed my life was at the Ashram of Ramana Maharishi, an Hindu philosopher and yogi whose position on monism (the identity of the individual soul and the creator of souls) and maya (illusion)has a great contribution to the yogic philosophy and the technique of vichara (self-“pondering” inquiry).
Transformed by the depth of the place and the experience of solo traveling I decided to invest my time on my personal growth, leave my job in Milan, move to India and exploring the country to study Eastern philosophy.
During 3 years of exploration I spent time in remote holy sites, received traditional education at yoga āshrams and lived in Varanasi – one of the oldest City in the world.
In 2009 I attended an immersion course at the Himalayan school of Iyengar by Sharat Arora a direct student of BYI Iyengar.
In 2010, I attended my first Vipassana in meditation course, after taking refuge in Buddhism with H.H the Karmapa in Sarnath.
In 2011 I have directly studied and received initiation by the 14th Dalai Lama in Dharamsala exploring Buddhism more deeply only lately with Mingyur Rinpoche and Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in Bodhgaya and consequently attending an online course in “The Hindu and Tibetan rivers of Buddhism” with Tenzin Robert Thurman – Columbia University USA.
In 2012 I moved back to my designer job in London where I met and practiced daily Astānga Yoga Mysore with Hamish Hendry.
In 2016 I returned to India and since then I have been studying under the guidance of GuruJi Sharath Jois in Mysore, seasonally.
During my time in India I have attended daily classes with:
Acarya/MA Kedar Prado,Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya (Sanskrit/Tantra) Varanasi;
Dr. M.A. Ph.D. Jayashree (Yoga sūtras, ślokas); Mysore
Professor M.A. Narasimhan (Philosophy and Classical Yoga); Mysore
Vidwan Lakshmish Bhat (Yoga sūtras, ślokas, and Sanskrit ); Mysore
Certified Astānga Teacher Sharmila Desai, Astānga Yoga Morjim,

Simona Nucera
Owner and Founder
Shala Mandala
www.shalamandala.com

Designer at
Blusima
www.blusima.com