our Project
Berlin Yoga Conference is a new initiative created by the Berlin-based yoga teacher Anastasia Shevchenko, with an aspiration to become an annual tradition and an ever-expanding international community of yogis, professionals, and businesses.
Berlin Yoga Conference has educational goals in mind, encouraging high quality content pertaining to various yoga methodologies, practices, and topics, with a special emphasis on scientific research and modern yoga philosophy.
Berlin Yoga Conference strives to create an authentic yoga experience and is open to everyone no matter what personal background, yoga experience, or level. Anyone who is interested in a healthy lifestyle and ethical living is welcome!
Our Vision
Focus on Depth over Breadth
We strive to give our teachers an opportunity to present their yoga methodology and philosophy to the fullest extend through various events
Balance between New and Traditional
We try to create an environment where tradition is honored but modern developments are appreciated and put into a proper perspective
Fairness towards Global versus Local
We hope to keep the 50/50 ratio for International VS. European presenters, fostering the growth and expansion of the local market
Going Beyond the Physical
We want to provide high quality physical yoga classes while connecting them to the more subtle aspects behind the yoga practice
Authentic Commercial Experience
We try to encourage a more authentic, open, engaging, and meaningful interaction between people and brands
Our Goals
▵ To create an authentic yoga experience
▵ To educate, inform & inspire the public
▵ To build cultural & interpersonal bridges
▵ To expand local & international yoga communities
▵ To encourage social responsibility & contributions
▵ To generate new business opportunities & networks
▵ To contribute to the vibrant Berlin life & local tourism
▵ To enjoy, to celebrate & to have a great time together
Our Team
Anastasia Shevchenko
Anastasia was born in Ukraine, grew up in Canada, and now she lives in Germany. She started practicing Hatha yoga at the age of 15 back in 2003 after being diagnosed with scoliosis. Through a disciplined practice, Anastasia learned first-hand the self-healing aspect behind yoga, that was tested once more after an accident that left her with a broken and paralyzed arm when she was 19.
Shortly after moving to Germany in 2013, Anastasia completed a 200-hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training, followed by an Ashtanga Yoga Teacher’s Intensive in 2014 and an Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training in 2017. Ever since, she has been teaching classes, workshops, and giving lectures on yoga philosophy. Anastasia’s favorite topics of research are connected to Quantum Mechanics, Neuroscience, Psychology, Western Philosophy, Buddhism, and Nutrition.
Having studied design, holding a bachelor in Communications, and co-producing an arts festival in Berlin, Anastasia decided to turn her skills and experiences towards creating a new type of yoga event that would motivate and inspire people to take up the yoga path and use it for their self-healing, self-development, and self-transformation.
Alina Hoyer
Half-Bulgarian, half-German, Alina grew up in Berlin and studied Graphic Design at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin, before founding her studio, Bureau Hoyer, in 2010.
Bureau Hoyer is a Berlin-based Graphic Design and Art Direction studio, creating holistic visual solutions for various clients across disciplines. Passionate about finding the best tools to execute content-driven visuals, Alina’s studio works as a creative partner in all aspects branding, bringing visual identities to life through thoughtfully crafted printed and digital implementations.
Alina is happy to support the Berlin Yoga Conference with her work and she is also herself a dedicated Ashtanga Yoga practitioner for the past 3 years.
Katrin Sellerbeck
Katrin grew up in West-Germany and went to study Interior design at FH Dortmund. During her studies, she worked in record stores and as DJ for ambient/experimental music. In 2003, Katrin retrained at Siemens Business Services and started to work full-time as a Web-developer shortly afterwards.
Meanwhile Katrin resides in Berlin and is a freelance Web-developer. She loves being out in the nature & hiking, reading science-fiction, and doing yoga. She is always on the lookout for finding smart, suitable solutions to complex tasks, new collaborations, and interesting projects.
Alessandro Sigismondi
Alessandro was born in Italy in 1974. After finishing a degree in Communications, he started working in the advertisement business as a copywriter, in Turin and Milan, for the next 16 years.
In 2012 he quit his job and travelled to India with his family, with the intention of studying, and maybe one day teaching, Ashtanga Yoga. At that point, at first almost by chance, he started taking photos and videos of some of the renowned Ashtanga yoga teachers. In a few months, his passion turned out to be his new full-time job and he started traveling the world shooting for yoga studios, retreat centers, sportswear brands and individuals.
After 5 years, more than 250 videos filmed and thousands of photos taken, he always starts a new project with the enthusiasm of the first one.
Axel Hebenstreit
Axel has the gift to see the most beautiful and radiant in human beings. His strength lies above all in the ability to perceive the essence, the „spirit”, at an event or in a person, and to make it visible through his photography.
Axel’s images are full of love and compassion. He has become on of the most well-known photographers within the alternative, spiritual and yogic family. He started to work as a photographer again, right after he lost his house along with all his material belongings due to a fire, and was first introduced to mantra singing as well as to a new festival culture currently developing throughout the world. One year after the publication of his book about the visible effects of the Tibetan Massage, he is now working on his second book “Souls of Light”, visualizing his unique perspective on people over the last 5 years.
Alongside with his work as a professional photographer, Axel also creates beautiful designs and websites, holding a degree in Design from 1998, where he was a student of the German photographer Detlev Orlopp.