Esra Yıldırım

Esra was introduced to yoga in 2011 and continued her yoga practice through elective courses while studying Philosophy at Bilkent University. In 2015, she began attending regular sessions at YogaŞala, and in 2017, with the intention of deepening her practice, she joined the 200-hour YogaŞala Yoga Alliance Certified Specialization Program with Ürün Kurtiç. She also completed an 80-hour YogaŞala Mentorship, a 40-hour Introduction to Ayurveda, and a 60-hour Vinyasa Krama training, all under the guidance of Ürün Kurtiç.

Since 2017, Esra has been offering individual and group sessions. In 2022, she began exploring somatic yoga through a Slow Flow Vinyasa mentorship with Eric Powell. She believes that the 100-hour “Somatic Approach to Trauma Through Yoga Postures” program, which she completed with Godfrey Devereux in 2023, has provided her with a new perspective on teaching. Esra also deepened her meditation practice by participating in Godfrey Devereux’s 100-hour Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher Training.

She continues her studies in Anatomy and the Science of Movement and Training in Yoga with Soner Özsu. Additionally, as a certified children’s yoga instructor, Esra incorporates curiosity and playfulness into her session flows while also offering breathwork practices aimed at regulating the nervous system.