About Yogini Ishani
My name is Yogini Ishani (formerly Yogini Linda Madani). I am the founder of Intuitive Flow Yoga Studio and Nalanda School. For over 25 years, I have dedicated myself to the healing and spiritual traditions of yoga. As an apprentice to the respected Balinese healer Tjokorda Rai, I gained a deep appreciation for yoga as a path of transformation. In addition to my own healing practice, I have led teacher trainings and retreats, always aiming to make learning warm and accessible. I am a certified yoga therapist in both India and the USA, and I hold an E-RYT 500 qualification. My background includes a two-year Vedic chanting program in Chennai and training in Vedic counselling with David Frawley. I continue to study Sanskrit and Advaita Vedanta to deepen my understanding of yoga’s roots. I have also been initiated in Kālávāhana, a Sri Vidya-based practice passed down through a specific lineage. I believe learning should inspire, be grounded in real experience, and help students grow in meaningful ways. My mission is to help others discover how yoga can transform their lives and support them on their healing journey.
The path of Yoga
To me, yoga is a path of inner refinement. This means developing self-awareness and patience over time. It happens quietly from within, through reflection and gentle focus. It goes far beyond the physical practice of poses. Yoga is a way of remembering, or returning to a sense of wholeness by recognizing our strengths and vulnerabilities. Through yoga, we care for the physical (our bodies), emotional (our feelings), mental (our thoughts), and subtle (our intuition and energy) aspects of ourselves. These are not separate parts to fix, but different expressions of one consciousness. Yoga does not belong to any one religion, yet it respects them all. At its essence, it is about a direct connection with the divine presence within us. It is a feeling of peace and unity, beyond form and belief.
In this way, yoga becomes a place where we can meet. It is a space where differences soften. Identities are less fixed. For example, a businessperson and a student may share a sense of calm together. There is something shared underneath it all: a quiet awareness or peace that anyone can feel. The divine may be named in many ways, depending on culture or tradition. Still, the experience of it is simple and close. It is a feeling of connectedness or presence. Yoga gently brings us back from looking outside to sensing what is already within. This could be as simple as noticing our own breath or heartbeat.
The body plays an important role in yoga, but it is not the main focus. The practice helps us notice the limits we set for ourselves, such as the roles we play in daily life and the habits and beliefs that shape how we see ourselves. Yoga shows us that these limits may seem solid, but can become more flexible as our awareness grows. With increased self-awareness, we find more freedom and space in how we live and experience life.
This is the path I am on. For me, it means noticing my reactions and learning to pause. Not to become someone else, but to recognize what has always been here—such as moments of calm or clarity that arise naturally. And this is what I offer. Instead of a set method to follow, I invite each person to experience this in their own way. For example, by finding what brings them a sense of completeness during practice.