Ashtanga yoga in Malta

Ashtanga is one of the less common styles in Malta, but you can still find it if you know where to look. HotYogaMalta in Mosta is the most committed option, with non-heated classes, a 200-hour Ashtanga Vinyasa teacher training and visiting teachers. Freemyme in Sliema and LivingWell at the Hilton in St Julian’s include it on wider timetables. For a one-off session by the sea, try Yoga with Una.

What is Ashtanga yoga, and where did it come from?

Ashtanga Vinyasa was taught and spread by K. Pattabhi Jois, who studied under T. Krishnamacharya and ran his own institute in Mysore, in southern India. The name means “eight limbs”, borrowing from the eightfold path described in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, though what you’ll meet in class is the physical practice.

There are several series of increasing difficulty. Most people spend years on the first, the Primary Series, known as Yoga Chikitsa or “yoga therapy”. What sets the method apart is its structure, which rests on four things happening at once: the set sequence, ujjayi breathing (a slow, audible breath through the nose), bandhas (internal locks) and drishti (a fixed gaze point).

It’s also fair to know the method’s history has a darker side. Several former students have described being sexually assaulted by Jois during physical adjustments. Many teachers now acknowledge this openly and ask permission before touching anyone. You’re always entitled to say no to hands-on help, in any yoga class.

What happens in an Ashtanga class?

Every class in the Primary Series follows the same route. You start with sun salutations A and B, move into standing poses, then work through a long run of seated poses, each joined by a short vinyasa that lifts you up and back through plank. Near the end come backbends, a shoulderstand and headstand sequence, and a proper rest. The full series takes about 90 minutes, though it’s commonly shortened.

You’ll find two formats:

• Led class. The teacher counts the breaths and everyone moves together. It’s a good way to learn the sequence, and it can feel like a group effort.
• Mysore style. You practise from memory at your own pace, and the teacher helps each student in turn. Beginners learn a few poses at a time and add more as they’re ready. It can be the best way to learn, since the class fits around you.

None of the Malta listings on this site currently advertises a daily Mysore programme. If that’s what you’re after, ask the teachers below, since small groups may exist without being advertised. Practising the sequence at home between classes is a common solution.

Traditional practice is six days a week, with one rest day and a break on the full and new moons. Few people in Malta will keep to that, and two or three sessions a week is plenty to make progress.

Who is Ashtanga for, and who should avoid it?

It suits people who like structure, enjoy measurable progress and want to feel worked. Because the sequence doesn’t change, you can see yourself improving, and you stop having to think about what’s coming next. Regular practice may build strength, stamina and flexibility, and many find the repetition calming.

It’s a poor fit for anyone wanting gentle stretching, and it’s a steep start for complete beginners. Be careful in these situations:

• Wrist, shoulder or lower back injuries. The repeated vinyasas load your wrists and shoulders, and forcing the seated forward folds is a common source of hamstring and back niggles.
• Knee problems. Half-lotus and tight-hip work can strain the knee if pushed.
• High blood pressure, glaucoma or heart conditions. The finishing sequence includes inversions, and the pace raises your heart rate. Ask your doctor and let the teacher adapt it.
• Pregnancy. Teachers should offer substantial changes, particularly if you’re new. Ask your midwife or doctor, and consider a dedicated pregnancy class.

How does Ashtanga differ from vinyasa, hatha and hot yoga?

Vinyasa grew from the same roots, but its sequence changes with each teacher, so it’s more varied and usually less strict. Hatha is slower, with pauses between poses, and is the better starting point. Hot yoga describes a heated room, and Ashtanga is traditionally practised without added heat, though the work itself is warm enough. Rocket yoga, which you may see on Malta teacher-training listings, is a freer offshoot of the Ashtanga sequences.

Where can you do Ashtanga yoga in Malta?

Mosta

HotYogaMalta teaches non-heated ashtanga in central Malta, despite the name. Founder Simona Coscia leads a 200-hour Ashtanga Vinyasa teacher training with Stefano Peschiulli, and the studio also hosts him for a weekend workshop in late November 2026. Workshop and training dates appear on what’s on. Showers and lockers are available, and there’s parking near Eurospin Mosta.

Sliema and Manoel Island

Freemyme lists ashtanga among the FLOW classes on its Sliema timetable, next to HIIT, strength and pole, and memberships have no minimum term. Yoga Malta, a separate business from this website, lists ashtanga among the styles it teaches around Manoel Island and Sliema. Most of its classes are outdoors, so check the current schedule for what’s running.

St Julian’s

LivingWell at the Hilton in Portomaso includes Ashtanga on its members’ timetable. Non-members may need a temporary membership, and the page doesn’t say whether you can join a single class. It’s worth a look if you’re already a member or based in St Julian’s for a few weeks.

South Malta

Yoga with Una offers one-hour outdoor Ashtanga or hatha sessions by the sea, with Birgu as a base and other locations on request. They’re booked through Airbnb or GetYourGuide rather than a timetable, and they suit visitors or a small group. Una is listed as a 200-hour teacher trained in Kathmandu. See south Malta for more.

Other listings

PowerYogaWorld also lists Ashtanga, but its site gives conflicting locations, so confirm the address and regular prices before you travel. Two further listings, Yoga Tribe Malta and Rajadhiraja Yoga, show no recent activity, so treat both as unconfirmed.

How do you keep up Ashtanga through a Maltese summer?

The Primary Series generates plenty of heat of its own, and in July and August you won’t need a heater to feel it. Studio classes are the obvious answer, but check how the room is cooled. Early morning is traditional for Ashtanga anyway, and it’s the right call here. A 6am home practice with the window open beats an 11am one by a long way.

If you practise outdoors, keep the hour short and the water close, and watch the sun. Sweaty palms slip on a mat in humid weather, so a towel laid over it helps during long vinyasas.

Mosta is usually simpler for parking than Sliema or Portomaso, but morning traffic on the main routes builds early. Since Ashtanga often rewards consistency more than anything, choose the class you can actually reach every week.

What should you do before your first class?

Message the teacher first and ask how they teach newcomers, whether in a led class or by giving you a few poses at a time. Say if you’ve done hatha or vinyasa before. Practise on an empty stomach, or a couple of hours after a light meal, and wear close-fitting clothes so the teacher can see your alignment.

Take your time learning the opening sun salutations, because everything else builds on them. If group classes feel too fast, a few private lessons can get you started properly. For costs, see the prices page.