A teacher of Ashtanga Yoga trained with Jean-Claude Garnier, Dorothée Mendel transmits an attentive and gradual practice, nourished by her artistic background, her love of literature and a constant search for accuracy and gentleness.
A path of practice and transmission
Originally from Brussels, Dorothée Mendel lived abroad for thirteen years, between Paris, New York and Tel Aviv. Passionate about literature, art history and theatre, she took an early interest in the different forms of artistic expression and in understanding the human experience.
It was in Tel Aviv that she discovered Ashtanga Yoga. What was at first only a practice gradually became a discipline of life and a path of self-knowledge.
In 2016, she joined the teacher training of the Ashtanga Yoga Institute under the direction of Jean-Claude Garnier. Over the years of study, she deepened her practice, her understanding of the method and her interest in transmission.
A way of teaching
Dorothée’s teaching rests on a simple conviction: progress is not born from constraint but from attention.
Through the practice of the postures, the breath and the Vinyāsa, she accompanies each student in a gradual approach, respectful of each person’s rhythm and possibilities.
Her artistic and literary background nourishes a pedagogy sensitive to the quality of lived experience as much as to the precision of the method.
What yoga has taught her
During her training, Dorothée devoted her final dissertation to the theme of gentleness. This inquiry deeply reflects her way of approaching yoga today.
Far from being a weakness or a lack of commitment, gentleness becomes a means of listening, observation and transformation.
Regular practice has taught her that one can progress with determination while cultivating more presence, patience and kindness towards oneself.
To go further
📖 Final training dissertation: On Gentleness
A research work devoted to the place of gentleness in the practice and transmission of yoga.
👉 Download the dissertation (PDF, in French)
