Find your style
Ashtanga classes in Madrid
A set sequence practiced with devotion.
Ashtanga is a vigorous style built on a fixed sequence of poses, practiced in the same order every time and linked by breath. You learn the sequence pose by pose over months and years, so progress is easy to notice.
44 classes coming up at 7 studios.
What Ashtanga does for you
You get a strong, sweaty practice that builds heat, strength and stamina. Because the order never changes, your mind stops guessing what comes next and settles into the count of the breath, which many people describe as moving meditation. You can feel change from week to week: a bind that was out of reach, a jump-through that suddenly lands. The structure feels grounding to some people and demanding to others, and that is part of the appeal.
It suits you if
- you like routine and visible progress
- you want a strong, athletic practice
- you enjoy discipline and repetition
- you want to build toward a regular morning practice
Read the full guide to AshtangaWhat a class is like, your first time, history and the words you will hear
What a class is like
A full primary series takes about 90 minutes, and many studios offer shorter led versions of 60 to 75 minutes. In a led class the facilitator counts breaths and calls the poses in Sanskrit, from sun salutations through standing poses, seated forward bends and twists, backbends, and a closing sequence with shoulderstand and headstand. You breathe with an audible ujjayi breath and keep a steady gaze (drishti). Expect to sweat. Hands-on adjustments are traditional; music is not.
Your first time
- Practice on an empty stomach, two to three hours after a meal.
- Start with a led beginners class or an introductory course rather than a full primary series.
- Wear fitted clothes and bring a towel; hands and feet get slippery.
Good to know
- The sequence includes deep forward bends, binds and lotus variations; go slowly with knees and hamstrings and tell the facilitator about any injuries or pregnancy.
- Hands-on adjustments are common, so say clearly if you prefer not to be touched.
- Many Ashtanga programs rest on Saturdays and on new and full moon days, so check the schedule.
Where it comes from
Ashtanga means "eight limbs" in Sanskrit, a name borrowed from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which describe an eight-part path from ethics to meditation. The physical method that carries the name was developed by K. Pattabhi Jois (1915 to 2009), who studied with Tirumalai Krishnamacharya from 1927 and opened his own institute in Mysore in 1948.
Jois said the sequences came from an ancient text, the Yoga Korunta (also spelled Kurunta), which Krishnamacharya had reportedly found and which was later said to have been eaten by ants. No copy has ever surfaced, and many historians see the sequences as a 20th-century creation shaped by Krishnamacharya, Jois and the Indian exercise culture of the time.
Western students began arriving in Mysore in the early 1970s, and in 1975 Jois spent four months teaching in Encinitas, California, which planted the method in the United States. From there it spread to Europe, and its flowing structure became the template for vinyasa and power yoga. His grandson R. Sharath Jois led the Mysore lineage from 2007 until his sudden death in 2024.
Many former students have described sexual abuse by Pattabhi Jois during adjustments, and in 2019 Sharath Jois publicly acknowledged the improper adjustments he had witnessed. In Berlin, Ashtanga has a small, dedicated community, with led classes and early-morning Mysore practice.
Words you will hear
- Primary series
- The first of six fixed sequences, the one most classes teach.
- Ujjayi
- A slow, audible breath through the nose that sets the rhythm of practice.
- Drishti
- A set gaze point for each pose that keeps your attention steady.
- Bandha
- An inner lift or lock, such as gently drawing in the lower belly, used to support the body.
- Vinyasa
- In Ashtanga, the linking movement between poses: plank, upward dog, downward dog.
- Moon day
- New and full moon days, when many Ashtanga programs do not hold practice.
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Where to find it
Ashtanga in Madrid
Ashtanga in Madrid is a practice of set sequences, moving in the same order each time and linking every pose to the breath. Classes are spread across about ten studios, with the most in Ibiza, Trafalgar and Palacio. Many start early in the morning, and both guided classes and Mysore-style self-practice are part of the picture.
Where to start: Casa Kavi - Yoga, Movimiento, & Café in Trafalgar, Yogalates House in Ibiza or Lado B Ashtanga Yoga in Palacio
At a glance
44classes coming up
7studios
Read more about Ashtanga in MadridWhat Ashtanga looks like in Madrid, Guided and Mysore formats, Where to begin
What Ashtanga looks like in Madrid
The practice follows a fixed sequence of poses, moved through with breath and drishti. In a led class the facilitator counts the breaths and calls the poses in Sanskrit, from sun salutations through standing poses, seated forward bends and twists, backbends and a closing sequence. Expect audible ujjayi breath and a good deal of sweat.
Most Ashtanga classes in Madrid are taught in English, and nearly all of them are structured around flow and strength. Some are shorter led versions of the primary series, and some are fundamentals classes designed for newcomers.
Guided and Mysore formats
Mysore-style classes are part of the picture: you practice your own sequence at your own pace while a facilitator moves between students and gives adjustments. Casa Kavi in Trafalgar combines three Mysore days with one day of the full primary series, and Lado B Ashtanga Yoga in Palacio alternates guided sessions with Mysore and self-practice.
Guided classes run in a set order with the whole group moving together. Yoga Home Madrid in El Viso and Madrid City Yoga in Cuatro Caminos both offer Ashtanga classes at more than one level.
Where to begin
Lado B Ashtanga Yoga in Palacio and Yoga Home Madrid in El Viso are good places to start, with fundamentals and introductory classes that build the sequence step by step. Yogalates House in Ibiza adapts the primary series into a 60 or 75 minute class, so a first visit does not have to mean ninety minutes of the full sequence.
If you are used to other styles, expect the pace and the counting to feel different. Ashtanga rewards repetition, so a few weeks of the same class will show you more than one visit to a new studio each week.
Ashtanga in Madrid: questions and answers
What kinds of Ashtanga classes are there in Madrid?
Most of them are led by facilitators at about ten studios across Madrid, with the most spread through Ibiza, Trafalgar and Palacio. Some are Mysore-style, where you practice your own sequence at your own pace while the facilitator comes to you, and some are guided, where the whole group moves together.
When do most people practice Ashtanga in Madrid?
Yes. Most classes run in the morning, and about a third of them start before 9am, with 7am and 8am among the busiest start times. Evening classes exist too, with 7:15pm a common start, and the latest class begins at 8:30pm.
Are there Ashtanga classes in English?
Nearly all the classes are taught in English, so a first class is easy to follow. The Ashtanga beginners class at Yoga Home Madrid is taught in English, and it is a good place to start.
Where can a beginner start with Ashtanga in Madrid?
Lado B Ashtanga Yoga in Palacio offers a guided Ashtanga Fundamentals class of 75 minutes for beginners. Yogalates House in Ibiza has a 60-minute Ashtanga Yoga Fundamentals class built on the primary series, adapted to the group's energy. Starting with a fundamentals or introductory class suits most first visits, rather than a full primary series.
Can I join an Ashtanga class without knowing the sequence?
Not really. Ashtanga is a set sequence, so a led class usually moves through known poses in a fixed order, and the Mysore format is built around practicing on your own. The fundamentals and introductory classes are the most useful entry points for new students.
How long are Ashtanga classes in Madrid?
Typical classes last 75 minutes. Some studios run shorter 60-minute classes and longer ones of 90 to 120 minutes, including the full primary series and self-practice sessions at Lado B.
Who teaches Ashtanga in Madrid?
The classes are led by about ten facilitators, and Laura Ivars, Lucrecia Laurel, Agata and Indre Velaviciute teach a lot of them. Adriana Devi, Claudia Jimenez and Marinelly Diaz Saporiti are also among the facilitators with the most classes.
Is Ashtanga in Madrid very physical?
Ashtanga is a strong, dynamic style, and most classes are built around flow and strength. Some studios offer a more gentle, themed version, like the House Ashtanga Yoga class at Yogalates House, which is adapted to the group's focus each time.
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