Our Teachers
Our team of highly knowledgable and passionate teachers are certified at the 500-hour level and go through rigorous recertification every year to ensure our students' safety and be updated by the newest yoga science. We also train our own 200-hour teachers, so you can trust that you're in the best of hands!
”Your care for your customers is simply astonishing! You care about what we think, how we feel. Your professionalism should set an example for all the yoga studios in the world!”
Laura S.
Nicola Moberg
Welcome to My Yoga Sanctuary: A Place for Wellness and Transformation
Hello and welcome! I'm Nicola, the founder of this yoga studio, which is much more than just a business—it's my dream realized, my sacred space, and in many ways, my third "child." 😊 When you step into our studio, my hope is that you'll immediately feel the love, joy, and positive energy that flow through every corner.
I’m genuinely excited to welcome you, and I can’t wait to meet you in person!
About Me
As a passionate Purna Yoga instructor, my mission is to help people unlock their true potential and enrich their lives through yoga. I'm dedicated to training future yoga teachers, guiding them to inspire their students to live their yoga daily. I also specialize in pregnancy yoga and natural childbirth, helping mothers on their unique journeys.
Yoga: My Life's Work and Calling
Yoga is more than a profession to me—it’s the core of who I am. It has been my guide through life’s challenges and has given me a deep sense of purpose and clarity about what truly matters. The practice has grounded me, offering fulfillment beyond words.
Why Purna Yoga?
Purna Yoga resonates deeply with me because it provides practical wisdom for living a meaningful, joyful life. Yoga has always given me a sense of "why," but Purna Yoga also gave me the tools—the "how"—to live it fully. I’m excited to share these transformative practices with you, empowering you to live a life filled with peace and happiness.
I Believe in You
I truly believe in your potential to live the life you’ve always dreamed of, and I’m convinced that Purna Yoga can help unlock that possibility. Together, we’ll strengthen your body, open your heart, and uplift your spirit. You deserve to live with joy and ease, and I’m here to support you every step of the way.
My Journey
If you're curious about how my path led me here, here's a glimpse into my story:
👉 I grew up in the Austrian Alps, often feeling a sense of longing for something more.
👉 In 1994, I embarked on a global journey, traveling to places like Australia, South America, Africa, and Asia, searching for my true path.
👉 In 2001, I discovered yoga at a spiritual center in Guatemala, and it became my grounding force as I continued my travels.
👉 In 2003-04, I completed my first yoga teacher training in Barcelona, a city that shaped my destiny in many ways. It was there that I met my Finnish husband. 😉
👉 In 2007, during my first pregnancy, I discovered prenatal yoga and became fascinated by the power of childbirth.
👉 By 2009, I earned my certification in Perinatal Yoga after training under Francoise Freedman at Birthlight, marking a turning point in my journey.
👉 Our family relocated to Helsinki, and in 2010, after welcoming my second child, I found a home at Purna Yoga Helsinki—a serene studio where I felt truly at peace.
👉 In 2012, I began teaching prenatal yoga and completed my 200-hour teacher training with Drew Scallop and Tove Palmgren. That same year, I met Aadil Palkhivala, the visionary behind Purna Yoga, and my path became even clearer.
👉 Under Aadil’s guidance, I completed my 500-hour Purna Yoga training in Helsinki, a life-changing experience that deepened my understanding and practice.
👉 In 2017, I fulfilled a lifelong dream by taking over the studio, making it my own.
👉Since 2020, I’ve had the honor of leading our 200-hour Purna Yoga teacher training program, helping others realize their own dreams as teachers.
Today, I know my journey has only just begun, and I’m eager for all the possibilities that lie ahead.
A Commitment to Lifelong Learning
Years of training, teaching, and running this studio have taught me one invaluable lesson: “The journey never ends.” I am constantly inspired by a desire to learn and to give back, and I remain deeply grateful to the mentors who have shaped my path, including Tove Palmgren, Aadil Palkhivala, and Savitri, among others.
I can’t wait to continue this incredible journey with you. Namaste,
Nicola
Eva Kiviluoma
''I am a 500-hour level Purna Yoga professional based in Helsinki, Finland. I started my yoga practice at the age of 18 due to lower back pain and have ever since trained both in India and in the West. I completed my first 200-hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh, Northern India, also called the ‘‘birthplace of modern yoga’’. This was an immersion into the land where the practice of Yoga has its roots.
In 2014 I further educated myself in Helsinki, Finland. With the guidance of Tove Palmgren, I completed a 200-hour Purna Yoga Teacher training. Then in 2015, I graduated from a 500-hour Purna Yoga Teacher Training taught personally by world-renowned Yoga Master Aadil Palkhivala.
I stay a student forever and continue to further educate myself on a daily basis. I study weekly with my teachers and am passionately interested in psychology and cutting-edge research on holistic health both of which I also apply to my teaching.''
I teach yoga and meditation at Purna Yoga Helsinki both at the Studio and online. With my husband Gabriel, I also offer annual Purna Yoga Holidays in Spain! Learn more about it at www.purnayogaholidays.com''
Gabriel Maldonado
I am Gabriel, and I come from Chile. It was during my time studying law at the University and travelling in India that I discovered the transformative power of Yoga in the serene city of Rishikesh. I had the opportunity to study under esteemed Hatha Yoga teachers, and their ideas ignited a deep inspiration within me. Motivated by this newfound passion, I dedicated myself to continuous self-practice back in Chile and embarked on a three-month teacher training program before deciding to return to Rishikesh for further refinement.
Upon completing my training, I ventured to Nepal, where I began teaching Yoga at a wildlife lodge. It was an enriching experience to share my knowledge with both the Nepalese people and the diverse range of people who crossed my path.
However, it was my arrival in Finland that truly transformed my practice. Here, I encountered Purna Yoga and started attending classes regularly. The impact was profound, as it completely shifted my perspective on Yoga. I was fortunate to receive a beautiful, balanced, safe, and holistic approach to teaching, which inspired me to continue my learning journey, where I completed the 200-hour Purna Yoga Teacher Training in 2015 and embarked on the 500-hour training program under the guidance of Aadil Palkhivala. Since then, I continue to study with my teachers and guide students to the vast world of Purna Yoga. In addition to this, I lead yoga retreats every year together with my wife, Eva Kiviluoma.
From the moment I encountered Yoga, I knew deep in my heart that this was my destined path. Despite my extensive academic studies, I felt a strong calling to immerse myself in Yoga, and today, I find great joy and inner peace in sharing my knowledge with others.
Salla Suomi
Hi, I'm Salla.
In January 2020, before even entering the Purna Yoga studio for the first time, I saw myself behind that counter where the teacher wishes students welcome. It was a very inspiring image in my head, but I never had planned to do a teacher training or teach, not even then!
I started to do yoga in 2018 in Tampere where I lived back then. It instantly gave me something that I had longed for: peace. I continued practicing yoga in Helsinki when I moved in 2019. I had heard something about Purna Yoga and checked their website when I read the words, ”welcome home”. It really hit me since after my divorce in 2017 I have had this thought in my head that said ”I just want to go home”.
I started to do Purna Yoga online classes in the spring of 2020 and later also studio classes. I loved the atmosphere at the studio, the professional teachers and the love and care. Slowly the idea of doing a teacher training at Purna Yoga Helsinki started to come more and more clear into my mind. I had to do it!
In the training I started to understand what yoga really is and doing an asana practice is really a small part of that. It is meant help you to become that person who you really are.
So, I graduated as a 200-hour Purna Yoga teacher in the spring of 2021 and here I am now, ready to help YOU find back home.
Henna Heimonen
“Henna Heimonen has more than 20 years of experience in different forms of yoga and sports. She is well educated in different fields of yoga/anatomy and started teaching her own classes in 2010 . Henna’s style is powerful, playful and permissive. She understands the unique needs of each student and is specialized in pregnancy and postpartum. As a mother she can relate to the challenges of parenthood. She is passionate about sharing joy, inspiration and acceptance.”
Vea Vainio
I first started yoga in Oulu in 2007 when I was 17 years and looked for ways to support my overall-
wellbeing. I have danced actively since a little girl but yoga gave me something new – a feeling of deeper peace.
For many years yoga ”came and went” as I travelled and lived in Finland and abroad.
In 2017 I felt a call to deepen my yoga practice. As a beautiful answer to my wish I then found
Purna Yoga Helsinki´s happy and cozy studio and gradutated as a 200-h Purna Yoga Teacher in 2018
with the guidance of Tove Palmgren and Nicola Moberg.
With Purna Yoga I have learned to see myself in a totally different light than before: I can actively and
positively influence the wellbeing of my body, mind and Heart by practicing Purna Yoga. I have learned
many practical tools to feel more free, light, happy, grounded and complete in this hectic world we live in.
Purna Yoga practice for me is a journey with many beautiful gifts which I am happy to share with others.
I am also educated as a Professional Dancer, an Occupational Therapist and a Nature Connection Guide.
In the field of Yoga I´ve graduated as a Yoga Teacher for Special Needs groups (Erkkajooga 2018), Children, Youth and Families (Perhejooga 2020) as well as certified as a Pre- and Postnatal Yoga Teacher (Birthlight 2021).
As a Dancer I work in the fields of Social and Health care and Community & Social Arts by creating dance performances, projects and workshops both indoors and outdoors in the nature. In addition to yoga, dance is for
me a way to express myself and to feel the connected to my Soul.
Charlotta Eskola
Hi I'm Lotta
I graduated from the Purna Yoga College in the year 2019 as a 200-h Purna Yoga teacher.
I am a jewellery designer and creativity has always been an important part of my life and that is why I admire the Mother, who continued the work of Sri Aurobindo in the Ashram of Pondicherry. The Mother says: ”Art and Yoga has in the center the same principle. The aim is to come conscious in both. You need to see and feel something beyond the ordinary vision and feeling to go within and carry out from there deeper things.”
This is the place from where I teach yoga and design my unique jewellery.
Laura Zein
Hi!
I'm Laura Zein, a friendly, conscientious yogi who laughs easily. I really enjoy hiking in nature, swimming in natural waters and meaningful conversations with friends.
I have been practicing yoga since 2014. I found the Purna Yoga Helsinki studio in 2016 and from the visit, I was convinced that I found the right form of yoga for me. I completely fell in love with the asana practice and was at a certain time going to the yoga studio every day. What hooked me about Purna Yoga was its holistic approach to the body and mind – the classes don't just train the body, but meditation improves concentration, calms the mind, and creates clarity.
I want to share to everyone who participates in my classes the gratitude and good mood that yoga brings to me. A yoga class is your own time where you challenge, calm down, learn, develop and marvel at the cooperation between your body and mind. So it doesn't matter how much yoga you've done previously, I pay attention to people of all levels. Welcome!
Yuki Ishiyama
Hello!
I’m Yuki, from Japan. An unfortunate separation brought me a wonderful encounter with Purna Yoga.
My first yoga experience was about 10 years ago. It was honestly miserable and full of shame because I had to struggle with my stiff body and the teacher even pushed and pulled me. I couldn’t enjoy or receive any benefits from that, so I decided to stop doing yoga after a very short experience.
In the spring of 2019 when I had difficulty in my life I was looking for something to treat my pain and anxiety. I found restorative yoga in Purna yoga, which gave me a completely different experience of yoga from what I had before. I could connect with myself without worrying about how to perform and I felt secured and relieved deeply through the teacher’s care.
Finally I found what I needed to get me out of the dark and cold tunnel. After doing almost only restorative yoga for about 3,5 years for healing, I began to think about my future. Maybe I'm able to prepare for any life challenges especially the physical change in a women’s life using the wisdom of yoga?
In the autumn 2022 I started to take more active asana classes and little by little aiming for connecting with my body and gaining the basic physical stability. Along with that I became more curious about yoga and decided to deepen my yoga journey and explore my own self by taking the teachers training.
As I have worked as an assistant and a teacher of special education in complementary schools in Espoo for about ten years, my eyes of observation and the sensitivity towards personal features and needs have been cultivated. This helps me in teaching yoga as well.
I’m very happy to share the wisdom of yoga with you! Looking forward to seeing you in class!
Mónica Ferreira
Hi there!
I am Mónica, and I come originally from Portugal. I am a proud mom of a beautiful girl.
I started my yoga journey in 2018 during my travels in Southeast Asia and discovered a deeper connection to myself. I instantly fell in love with the practice and the mat became my place of comfort. As someone who comes from a research-oriented background and has mostly busy work days, yoga has helped bring balance, humility, and focus to my days.
I found Purna Yoga Helsinki in 2019 when I was expecting my child, and found something special about that place and its unique approach. I completed the 200-hour Purna Yoga Teacher Training in the spring of 2024 and since then, my goal has been to bring the same feelings of connection, gratitude, and peace to others that Purna Yoga brings to me.
Besides yoga, I love walking in nature with my family, climbing, CrossFit, and pilates. I am looking forward to seeing you in class and learning from you!
Welcome!
Heli Suoninen
Hi, I'm Heli, a 200-hour Purna yoga teacher.
Yoga has been a profound part of my healing journey. Through it, I’ve found relief for my own pain and physical challenges, and it's become essential to my well-being.
I’m always learning, and right now, I'm diving deeper into my studies to become a Traditional Kalevala mobilisation therapist.
I find so much inspiration in the small, often-overlooked details in the world around me—those little moments that we sometimes miss. Yoga, to me, is an incredible way to nurture both mind and body, helping us stay connected and healthy.
Oh, and I have a big soft spot for senior rescue animals. They bring such warmth and wisdom into my life!
Welcome to my classes!