Community

Read what our  practitioners are saying about Bhumi Yoga​:

"Ashtanga Yoga is an empowering practice in the way that it gives you the tools to quiet your mind and take care of your body wherever you go and wherever you are. I love the way it makes me feel and increases my compassion to myself and those around me. Maxi is a very knowledgeable teacher and more importantly she helps you to establish a routine that suits your needs. For me an (almost) daily practice strengthens my body while giving me insight in my behaviour. I'm really glad to have discovered Maxi, this Shala and Ashtanga yoga!" Yvette van de Riet, October 2019; Ashtanga Mysore & Moon Sequence Practitioner

"I have practiced with Maxi since 2015 or 2014, I don't quite remember. Through her, yoga has integrated into my life gradually such that I don't know where it began. Maxi has shown me how be accepting of myself and my abilities. Each yoga practice is different yet all based on the age old traditions of the method. I was not knowledgeable about yoga or its background when I began. I started yoga to add physical exercise to my life in way that was sustainable for me in order to help in balancing my work life in IT.

My body had clearly not moved a lot of muscles when I began, but Maxi helped me find the adaptations to the asanas (poses) that my body allowed. Since that start, I found more then just moving your body. It is a privilege to find such a attentive, experienced and knowledgeable teacher in Maxi. Not only is she well versed in the yoga practice, tradition and philosophy, she also combines it with extensive knowledge about anatomy and other more academic perspectives.

She says yoga is for everybody and I can confirm that completely. Irrelevant where you come from or what shape you're in. It's a physical and mental place to come home to yourself that is both grounded in and elevated from daily life. The best way to understand is to experience it, just to see for yourself. With Maxi you can find a great teacher to help you get started or get you along if you already are more experienced. Plus there is a supportive and lively community around her that is a real bonus." Casper Bodewitz, October 2019, Ashtanga Mysore practitioner

"By the time I had decided to join Maxi's yoga school, I had been meaning to learn Ashtanga yoga for a while. I was practicing yoga regularly but was in need of a guiding hand to show me further into my yoga journey. Maxi turned out to be exactly the guidance I needed, and her yoga school is the optimal learning environment. I had never practiced Ashtanga yoga before, and Maxi gently guided me through the sequence of poses, showing me modifications when needed as my body adjusted to the poses. Going into my first classes among a group of people, I was afraid of not being able to keep up, or of an intimidating atmosphere. That was never the case, as  Maxi knows how to adjust the learning process to every student's needs and learning from her is always a delight. When practicing at the yoga school, everyone is equal and has an individual experience within an open group setting.

Having a regular yoga practice has been a very positive experience for me. As a student, I sometimes struggle with finding the time to cultivate qualities within myself that are outside of the academic domain, but Maxi's yoga school has greatly helped me with that! It is delightful to start off the day by focusing and cultivating yourself, both body and mind. I find that my daily practice helps me focus throughout the day and offers me a headstart to the day's activities. Every evening I look forward to the next day's practice, as I know it will provide me with time to better myself, and by the time practice is over I will be refreshed and ready to focus on the day's intellectual work. 

I am very glad that I joined Bhumi Yoga and I have the opportunity to practice regularly under the guidance of a great teacher!"
​Medeea Anton, October 2019; Ashtanga Mysore practitioner

"I have been following Ashtanga at Maxi for half a year now and I like this exceptionally well. It's like playing the Champions League every day, but with the difference that this is accessible to everyone and without the stress associated with top sport! 

In the past 5 years I have experienced a lot in the field of yoga and I also followed a 3-year training to become a Hatha yoga teacher with one of the better teachers in Europe. The way in which Maxi presents ashtanga and yoga is certainly also among the best and goes much further than just physical postures. 
The mix of one-to-one coaching, "Led classes" and becoming aware of your practice at your own pace is rock-solid. Based on years of experience in teaching and insight into the functioning of the body, energy and mind, Maxi communicates her message in a crystal clear way. Every word and movement has been carefully considered and well thought out, but above all tangible! The energy is overwhelming when you enter the "Bhumi" .... Highly recommended!" Ravi Soekhai, owner and teacher at Yoga Nirvana; November 2019, Ashtanga Mysore practitioner

"When I started practicing Ashtanga in Mysore classes with Maxi a little more than a year and a half ago, I had little experience with yoga classes. Maxi has been a very good guide on my yoga journey and I have built a regular practice since. The individual attention in Mysore classes is a great way to build the practice as is good for you and your body. It helps me focus on my own needs and abilities without constant comparison with others around me. As a teacher Maxi is gentle and patient, but she can also push me a bit when I am too afraid to try something I think I cannot do. I think it is all about finding this balance – between kindness and discipline – both on and off the mat. Practicing Ashtanga helps me to reflect on this daily. Maxi also pays a lot of attention to the balance between our yoga practice and the demands of our fast-paced daily lives. This space for reflection definitely contributes to making me stick with Ashtanga and with Maxi’s school."  Sanne Hupkes, October 2019; Ashtanga Mysore Practitioner

​"I began ashtanga yoga a year ago, knowing nothing about yoga but been curious about it. I was looking for something that could help me keeping the body active and countering the bad habits and restlessness that a long working day (spent mostly in a seated position) entails. That was just the beginning and along the way ashtanga yoga brought much more. The most valuable thing I'm learning is how to challenge my habitual perception of what my body is, how it works and what it can or cannot do. Thanks to Maxi's delicate and skillful guidance, the whole practice unfolds as a way of discovering how little one knows what a body can do and how much potential it has. And by knowing this, one might also become less concerned with the body itself, less anxious or preoccupied about it: the body knows how to move, it can learn, and it can take care of itself. So breath, stand and move, watching the body breathing, standing and moving, letting go all the rest. This is a quite good starting point for each new day that comes."   Andrea Sangiacomo, October 2019; Ashtanga Mysore Practitioner

"About a year ago I went to the Ashtanga Yoga school of Maxi Meisner, with some hesitation; After all, 60 years, fairly stiff and almost no experience with Yoga ...
From the first moment I feel very welcome and step by step I have taken my first steps on the Yoga path. In the meantime it has gained a permanent place in my life. It brings me a lot! Thus is almost entirely due to the warm, professional guidance from Maxi. She can be like no other teacher at all levels. Although we work in groups, I still have the feeling that I get personal guidance." Anthonie van Hemmen - joins the Wednesday evening Pranayama & Moon Sequence class weekly

"Maxi is kind and patient, and feels/knows how to adjust and help my body move - to dive deeper in the practice. It's very easy to communicate with her, as she is really open/accessible and clearly there to help. Furthermore, her calming voice is very very very helpful when I'm getting worked up in the practice. I'm learning a lot from her - not only in the practice but also in the philosophy (aka the parts you take home from your mat). I'm very happy to have her as a guide." Marjanne Vos, November 2016; Ashtanga Mysore Practitioner
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"I looked on the ashtangaingroningen site many times before finally taking the leap. At first I was scared it would all be a bit to much for a beginner in yoga. Especially the Mysore classes, working through your own sequence? I had no idea what that would entail, and it started at 6:30... I didn't see myself able to get out of bed that early. However it was a challenge so I decided to try just for the heck of it. Beforehand I thought a one month trial would be a big dive into the deep.. only to find a nice warm bath.. It was a really gentle way to get to know yoga, and to do it right, to completely surrender, and try out what it is like to integrate it into your lifestyle. Of course, I had some sore muscles in the first week, but I also found ease. At first I excused myself for not beïng a morning person, yet now I try to go to as many morning sessions as my student-life allows, When I walk back home after my morning mysore and walk pass  the busy traffic with their noisy claxons at 9 am I feel completely at ease. There is no better way to start your day.
At Maxi's Yoga School I found that yoga really is for everyone. It is liberating to not try to achieve the most extravagant poses, but to start at where you are today, only to find a week later, you are progressing.
Maxi really has been a terrific guide during my short yoga journey. She has a  lovely energy and, always seems to know just what you need in every pose. With a full classroom that is pretty impressive. To 'multi task' like that and still have a soothing energy. I don't think I'll ever get it." 
​Lies Mensink, September 2016; Ashtanga Mysore Practitioner

"The one month dedicated trial to this Yoga School, and hereby the Mysore style Ashtanga classes, gives the opportunity to engage in Ashtanga in a personalized way. What I really appreciated is that regardless the level you start with, Maxi makes sure you have the basis right before adding more poses to your practice. She takes the time explain poses well, either by verbal instructions or soft touch. I found out that by taking a few steps back I was able to find more space in the poses, even in poses that I’d done over a hundred times. Poses that appear simple such as downward facing dog or even mountain pose have so much more to it than I initially knew! The led classes allowed me to focus more on getting into the poses as Maxi talked us through the sequence. Especially in the beginning the Mysore classes were more challenging for me as I was so focused on my breath, what my hip was doing or where my arm was supposed to go that I forgot the sequence…Luckily Maxi is always there to help. During the month the sequence became more of a flow, less thinking and more feeling. To get most benefits I would recommend to come in at least 3 times a week. One of Maxi’s strengths is to see the needs of every individual in class and tailor to it. Maxi is fully committed to guide everyone to get most out of this month. Having this guidance is just too good an opportunity to miss. 
The atmosphere in the studio is warm and friendly. I like that the yoga room is a silence area, it makes it easier to get out of your head and into your body. Maxi is an inspirational teacher and person, I recommend her as a yoga teacher to anyone."  Rosa Eersteling, March 2017