Magdalena Mecweld

Magdalena Mecweld (born 1969) is a yogini, journalist, and author of the book and app "Vila dig i form med yinyoga" (2012), the book "Vila dig stark med yinyoga" (2022), and the new app "Yinyoga med Magdalena - Vila dig stark." She holds an E-RYT 500 certification (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher 500 hrs).

Magdalena is a highly appreciated teacher who combines deep wisdom with lighthearted humor in her unique yoga instruction. She was one of the first to teach yin yoga in Sweden, offering regular classes and workshops since 2008. Together with her partner, Mats Nielsen, she also leads popular yin yoga teacher trainings.

Her book "Vila dig i form med yinyoga" (Serenity Yin yoga) has helped hundreds of thousands of readers worldwide, while her latest book, "Vila dig stark med yinyoga," introduces new poses, sequences, and meditations. Her new Yin yoga app has also gained great popularity.

Magdalena’s yoga style emphasizes the meditative and deeply healing aspects of Yin yoga, always respecting the body’s natural limits. With a spiritual practice dating back to the early 1990s and extensive teaching experience since 2003, she has a refined ability to share her knowledge.

Yoga Journey & Teaching Experience

Magdalena's interest in spirituality began early, exploring astrology, graphology, and tarot in her teens. In 1994, meditation and yoga became central in her life, influenced by authors like Castaneda, Krishnamurti, Yogananda, and Eckhart Tolle. A chronic back injury initially kept her away from physical challenges, leading her to focus on studies in social anthropology, history of ideas, and journalism. However, a trip to Thailand in 2000 changed everything when she discovered hatha yoga, which helped her recover from pain. Her dedication deepened with ashtanga yoga in 2001.

Diagnosed with Graves’ disease in 2004, she recovered after two years of treatment, which further strengthened her commitment to yin yoga and meditation as daily healing practices. Magdalena holds multiple international certifications in various yoga styles and has thousands of training hours, though she believes true teaching comes from practice and self-reflection.

Her philosophy is that yoga is not about flexibility but about how we meet life’s challenges. True yoga and meditation give us the freedom to choose our reactions, allowing emotions to be observed with kindness rather than drama.

Academic & Yoga Background

Magdalena has a Bachelor degree in History of Ideas and Social Anthropology from Stockholm University and a journalism degree. Her yoga journey includes:

• Ashtanga: Studies with Kristina Karitinou, Petri Räisänen, Sharath Jois, Laruga Glaser, and Lisa Lalér.
• Yin Yoga: Influences from Sarah Powers, Norman Blair, and Bernie Clark.
• Restorative Yoga: Training with Judith Lasater.
• Meditation: Extensive practice in vipassana and mindfulness, inspired by Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Ajahn Sucitto, Joseph Goldstein, and Alexis Santos and others. Since 2013, Sayadaw U Tejaniya has been her main teacher.
• Traditional Chinese Medicine studies at the Swedish Acupuncture Academy.

She has worked as a journalist for 15 years, writing about meditation, yoga, health, and psychology in publications like Svenska Dagbladet.

Magdalena lives in Stockholm with her partner Mats and has an adult daughter, Bianca, who is also a yoga teacher. She is a board member of Vipassanagruppen, helping organise retreats with international teachers to Sweden.

 

Yoga & Meditation – Trainings & Retreats

2001–2006

• 2001–2003: Ashtanga yoga practice & studies with Jonas Rådahl.
• 2004: Weekend meditation course with Triratna, Stockholm.
• 2006: Yin Yoga Workshop with Norman Blair, Stockholm.

2007–2010

• 2007:
  • Yin Yoga Teacher Immersion with Norman Blair, London.
  • 10-day silent Vipassana retreat (Goenka tradition) in Kerala, India.
  • 3-day silent Vipassana retreat (Goenka tradition) in Sweden.
• 2008:
  • 250-hour yoga teacher training with Vashishta Yoga (Saji PK), Sweden.
  • 4-day Yin Yoga Teacher Immersion with Sarah Powers.
• 2009:
  • 10-day silent Vipassana retreat (Goenka tradition), Bangkok, Thailand.

2011–2016

• 2011: 125-hour Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training with Kristina Karitinou, Crete, Greece.
• 2012:
  • 50-hour Restorative Yoga Teacher Training with Judith Hanson Lasater, London.
  • 7-day silent meditation retreat with Bhante Rahula, Sweden.
• 2013:
  • 10-day Vipassana retreat with Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Myanmar.
  • 10-day silent retreat with Steve & Rosemary Weissmann, Thailand.
• 2014:
  • 4-week study retreat with Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Myanmar.
  • 25 days of Ashtanga Yoga practice & studies with Sharath Jois, Mysore, India.
• 2015:
  • 10-day silent retreat with Steve & Rosemary Weissmann, Thailand.
  • 3-week meditation study retreat with Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Myanmar.
  • 7-day mindfulness retreat with Greg Scharf, Sweden.
  • 7-day silent meditation retreat with Joseph Goldstein & Uffe Damborg, Denmark.
• 2016:
  • 2-week meditation study retreat with Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Myanmar.
  • Ashtanga retreat with Petri Räisänen, Goa, India.
  • 10-day Ashtanga retreat with Petri Räisänen, Kenya.

2017–2020

• 2017:
  • 10-day mindfulness retreat with Laura Bridgman & Alexis Santos, Finland.
  • 50-hour Yin Yoga Teacher Training with Bernie Clark, Canada.
  • 2-week meditation study retreat with Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Myanmar.
• 2018:
  • 2-week silent Metta retreat with Viranani & Ariyanani, Burma.
  • 2-week silent retreat with Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Myanmar.
  • 7-day silent retreat with Vajradevi, Sweden (organized & attended).
• 2019:
  • 10-day retreat with Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Sweden (organized & attended).
• 2020:
  • 5-week meditation study retreat with Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Myanmar.
  • 2-week Ashtanga & Shamanism retreat with Danny Paradise, Thailand.
  • 9-week study retreat with Bhikkhu Analayo (Satipatthana), online.
  • 7-day retreat with Andrea Fella, online.

2021–2024

• 2021:
  • 5-day meditation retreat with Ajahn Sucitto, online.
  • Pranayama Teacher Training Course with Sampoorna Yoga, India, online.
• 2022:
  • 7-day study retreat with Ajahn Sucitto, Switzerland.
• 2023:
  • 6-day silent Vipassana retreat with Staffan Hammers, Sweden.
  • 10-day silent Metta retreat with Viranani & Ariyanani, Sweden.
  • 10-day silent retreat with Ajahn Sucitto & Laura Bridgman, England.
  • 10-day silent retreat with Vajradevi, Sweden.
  • 10-day silent retreat with Alexis Santos, Sweden.
• 2024:
  • 7-day Metta retreat with Viranani & Ariyanani, online.
  • 6-day online retreat with Sayadaw U Tejaniya.
  • 28-day self-retreat, Ubud, Bali.
  • 10-day Ashtanga & Shamanism retreat with Danny Paradise, Thailand.
  • 4-day silent retreat with Staffan Hammers, Sweden.
  • 2-week self-retreat, Bali, Indonesia.

 

“I try to see my everyday life as a meditation and a retreat, always trying to be aware of all of life’s events. It is not only what happens on the yoga mat or meditation cushion that is interesting, it is our reactions when everyday life presses, stressing us, when things are not the way we want them, or when they actually are.

Much Love,

Magdalena”