About me
I was born in the late 1960s in the beautiful city of Salzburg, Austria. My father introduced me to yoga during my adolescence, sparking a fascination that has never faded. I began teaching yoga in 1990 while still a psychology student at the University of Vienna, marking the start of a lifelong journey.
My path has been shaped by learning from renowned Indian masters like B.K.S. Iyengar, as well as by immersing myself in various yoga traditions to deepen my understanding. I founded two yoga studios in Vienna—Prana and Atha Yoga Studio—and for nearly three decades, I taught yoga at the University of Vienna’s Sports Institute (USI).
Eventually, I closed the AthaYoga Studio in Vienna and moved to Altafulla, Spain, where I established the AthaYoga Retreat Center. Here, I continue creating high-quality online yoga content to help you cultivate a deeper connection with yourself.
Hi!
I’m Isabella Welsch,
Founder of AthaYoga, Book Author and Yoga Teacher for 35 years.
“For me, Yoga is the most powerful tool to stay connected with good energy, balance and joy in life. Its effects are almost miraculous. No matter how bad or complicated life might seem in a given moment, a regular yoga practice will always keep you positive and recharged”.
The perspective of Western psychology has influenced my approach to yoga, just as yoga has shaped my understanding of psychology. As a result, my practice naturally bridges East and West, tradition and modernity, rationality and emotion—bringing these and many other polarities into balance.
In my own life, this integration has never failed me, no matter the circumstances. While the effects of yoga were subtle at first, they deepened over the years, becoming an essential and transformative force. As an integral part of my journey, yoga has enriched my life in ways I would never want to be without.
In 2013 I authored the German yoga book “Yoga typgerecht” (Yoga for your type), where I present my modern interpretation of the ancient Indian system of the five elements—earth, water, fire, air, and space. This practice focuses on cultivating a conscious and well-balanced use of these elemental energies to harmonize the body's energy flow on a deep and transformative level.
