MEET OUR
FIGE YOGA TEAM

Justyna is an Ashtanga Yoga teacher authorized by Sharath Jois. She has been practicing this method since 2005 and sharing it in traditional form in Shalas around the world. She is now based in Poland, where she opened MERU Shala. It’s a space where she supports practitioners in all stages of their life.
She also holds the space for female circles, teaching about cycle awareness in practice and beyond. Justyna is also a pelvic floor therapist and applies this knowledge to her teachings.
Her free time is all about nature — she loves climbing mountains and taking pictures of landscapes. She finds photography as her way to show the beauty of nature and a call for preserving it.

She is a passionate yoga practitioner, yoga teacher and tour guide. She was working several years for one of the world's biggest travel companies, leading tours in Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia and her love for travel, tourism, yoga, and adventures made her found Fige Yoga Adventures.
Sasha became a certified yoga teacher in 2018 by www.gaia-yoga.com school in Croatia. Her teaching style is Ashtanga Vinyasa, and she is skilled at demystifying complex concepts and making yoga feel accessible to beginners and teachers alike.
Dog lover, she enjoys spending time hiking, swimming and horseback riding.

She is a certified yoga teacher, Systemic constellations coach and a Reiki master teacher. In her teachings, she combines yoga with systemic constellation work and energy work through reiki — giving people a chance to rediscover themselves in a safe environment.
Besides yoga, Ivana is interested in travelling, food, wine, music and art, and getting to know people worldwide and learning about different cultures.

Caroline is a dedicated Yoga Teacher based in Switzerland with over 9 years experiences in teaching Yoga.
She started as a traditional Sivananda Yoga Teacher and after many further trainings she found her own style - Hatha Flow. Sometimes very energized and sometimes slow and deep. She is an empath and has the gift to teach what people need the most.
For Caroline it is very important to give people the chance to rediscover themselves in a safe environment.
Beside Yoga Caroline loves being in nature, travelling, sports, the sun, the sea and laughing with friends. She is interested in the diversity of people and their needs. She is also Reiki practicioner.
“Yoga is about bringing the awareness into the body, into the breath, into the soul and into the moment. Your mind gets quiet and you get access to your soul on a deep level.”

Martin „Flippo“ Riedel from Pink Elephant Cooking brings his passion for creative, high-quality
cuisine to the table. With years of experience and a deep appreciation for fresh, regional ingredients,
he chop, bake, brew, and mix meals that are both delicious and nourishing.
Each day, guests enjoy a generous brunch and a carefully crafted 3-course dinner—rooted in
organic, seasonal produce and inspired by a love for balanced, wholesome food. The menu offering
a variety of flavors to suit different preferences—all prepared with love and culinary expertise.
To keep you refreshed throughout the retreat, fresh fruit, coffee, tea, and water are always available.

Manuela has been practicing yoga for more than 20 years and she is teaching for more than a decade. Coming from a martial arts background Manuela has always been into a dynamic Yoga style with focus on Ashtanga and Vinyasa Yoga. Being one of the first certified KATONAH YOGA Teachers in Germany and Europe her Vinyasa Yoga style is deeply influenced by the philosophy of Taoism und TCM (Traditional Chinese medicine) and the alignment of the KATONAH YOGA tradition.
Not only being a Yoga and Pilates teacher, Manuela has the gift to explain technique within the Yoga practice by also underlying it with philosophy in order to explore deeper layers of body and mind. The physical Yoga practice with elements of empowering and strengthening aspects are in Manuela teachings as important as Pranayama and Meditation and Restorative Techniques as a tool to find the balance between polarities in order to find our center.

Sandra D. Bianco is a dedicated yoga practitioner who has been studying and practicing yoga for more than 20 years, teaching it since 2005. She started her spiritual research at a young age of 15, first through books, then by meeting yoga, buddhist meditation and shamanism, until she met her spiritual Teacher in 1995. That encounter changed her perception of Life and of her Purpose, and became the foundation of her way of living and of her teachings today.
In 2005 she got the blessing to teach yoga from her first Ashtanga & Vinyasa teacher Sonja Rzepski, becoming one of the pioneers of dynamic yoga in Croatia. Her thirst for knowledge made her travel around the world, to study with a great number of prominent teachers and masters. One of the most precious encounters was with O.P. Tiwariji from Kaivalyadham Institute (India), who initiated her in the practices and teaching of Pranayama.
Sandra is is the founder of GaiaYoga school established in 2006 as the first Croatian Yoga Teacher Training program, and of GaiaYoga Prenatal TTC.
She is an experienced Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance (E-RYT500, RPYT) IYF and European Yoga Federation, and a Teacher Trainer licensed to certify students at the 200 & 500 hour levels. She has in-depth knowledge of Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative, Pranayama, Meditation and yoga philosophy.
She is also trained in Shamanic Medicine with Andean Q’ero shamans, as well as Energy Therapist and teacher of Energy Method called Prana Hands since 1999.

Growing up in a family that loved to travel and explore new tastes, I was exposed to many different cousins during my childhood and that definitely sparked an interest in me which later developed into my passion and profession. My enchantment with exploring different cultures and cuisines continued growing during my studies in Switzerland. After graduating in International Business in Hotel and Tourism Management in Cesar Ritz University, I spent a few years working in a 5*star hotels around Europe and Asia where I continued to work, travel and educate myself on different foods and cuisines. My biggest passion was the connection between culture and food and how we can learn so much about the culture and history just from a plate of modest traditional food cooked at home.Upon returning to my home county I started the radio show "With Spoon around the world" and I spent the next 10 years running a kitchen in different vegan restaurants and hotels in Croatia.
My love and passion for food and cooking still grows each day and I am happy to be able to share it with the beautiful people that I cook for.

Lisa is a state-approved sports and gymnastics teacher, wilderness educator, wellness masseuse and advanced AYI Yoga teacher with more than 1100 hours of training with Dr. Ronald Steiner and Anna Trökes.
She teaches Yoga seminars, retreats and advanced training courses for Yoga teachers throughout Europe.
In her work, the art of movement, philosophy, meditation, massage and her intensive connection to nature flow harmoniously into one another and inspire a comprehensive understanding of being alive.
She responds sensitively and attentively to the individual needs of her students and customers .

Ivana's culinary hands&heart have been offering food for a many years now, whether during the sailing seasons or preparing it for the numerous workshop meals, retreats, caterings or as a cook in the veg. restaurants. She infuses Mediterranean style with mostly vegan and gluten free food trying her best to follow the principles of local&seasonal&fresh&organic. She might surprise you with the traditional transformed into "healthy nutritional". The root of her love for offering a table full of “nature” comes from a deep connection she had with the grandmother and her village, that was a treasury of wild herbs, berries, clear water, orchards...of colorful Life. If she's not in the kitchen, she dances and teaches movement meditation practice called 5Rhythms. And just before preparing your meals, she gives thanks to Sun and Earth, to God and caring hands of farmers.

Kruno is an enthusiastic chef and permaculture designer. He comes from Croatia and is 35 years old. He combines his love of nature and healthy food into a harmonious meal for the soul and body. He participates as an educator in various programs for young and old in the fields of: cooking, gardening and mindfulness practice.

Irena Bartolec is an authorized KPJAYI Yoga Teacher, currently living in Costa Rica. She holds and organizes annual Retreats, Workshops, and Teacher Trainings internationally in Bali, Europe, Costa Rica and beyond.
Irena has 20 years of extensive Teaching and Management experience in the fields of Yoga, Health, Wellness and Mindfulness. She is the Creator and Director at Ashtanga Yoga Mama, established in 2014.
Irena has studied Yoga and Meditation extensively with Sri. K. Patthabi Jois, Sharat R. Jois, Rolf Naujokat, Richard Freeman, Lino Miele, Nancy Gilgoff, Eddie Stern, Dr. Jayashree and Prof. Narasimhan, Sharon Salzberg, Bodhi College. Their great wealth of knowledge, generosity, and tutelage have formed the pillars for Irena’s own yogic teaching style, and accompanying philosophies.

In 2014 Irena received her Authorisation to teach Ashtanga Yoga from The KPJAYI Institute in Mysore, India. She spent many years in Mysore, returning annually, establishing a deep relationship to the Ashtanga practice and the traditional lineage, at the time.

Irena Bartolec had the rare opportunity to study Yoga and Mindfulness beside a carefully curated group of noted and revered spiritual Teachers and Masters. Her search for knowledge has taken her all over the world, from India to the USA, Europe to Asia, Central America to Hawaii. She remains committed to spending time with teachers whom she admires, and they dutifully inspire her teaching path.

Irena Bartolec received her Master of Science in Kinesiology Degree from the University of Zagreb, Croatia in 2004 where she graduated with a Master’s Degree in Physiology. Her final thesis was titled “ The Influence of Yoga on the Cardiovascular and Respiratory System.”

Irena continued her education in various Yoga schools such as The Yoga Workshop in Colorado, Samahita in Thailand, and The Birthright School in the U.K.

This extensive education gives Irena a strong platform to teach different levels of classes and meet her student’s individual needs. She is fully versed in anatomical studies, various physical therapy programs, and has worked extensively with clients who suffer from various physical and mental dis-eases. Irena’s refined teaching philosophy balances well honed strength with proper alignment, ensuring that students develop an extensive yet firm Yoga practice, equally pledging importance on Creativity, Individuality, Discipline and Tradition.

In 2004 Irena opened The Body Element Studio in her hometown of Zagreb, Croatia. She designed, conceptualised, created, managed, owned and taught at Body Element for 10 years. Her passion for Yoga and Wellness supplied Irena with the vision and fortitude to establish the first traditional Ashtanga Vinyasa program in Croatia. Her early teaching choices and business inceptions laid the foundation for a rapidly growing and currently successful Yoga community in Croatia.

In 2014 Irena Bartolec moved to Bali where she taught at Seminyak Yoga Shala until May 2019. She developed and lead their Ashtanga Yoga program, overseeing and teaching a very successful and influential Mysore program that drew students from all over the world.

She is a creator and lead teacher for Cosmos Yoga Academy Teacher training program.

In 2020. due to unpredictable global events, she ended up in Costa Rica where she is currently living and hosting private tailored retreats on a Pacific Coast of Guanacaste.

She is Forever grateful to this beautiful country and opportunity to create and share this peaceful oasis with the community.
Irena is a published writer on The Medium, contributor at Sensa lifestyle Magazine since 2008 and meditation teacher at InsightTimer.