Mariko Hirakawa

Mariko has been teaching Yoga since 1992. Her primary teaching style is Vinyasa,with strong influences from the Iyengar, Ashtanga Vinyasa, and Anusara styles. She is a multi-level instructor with experience in teaching classes and workshops in the Vinyasa, Anusara and Hatha styles, as well as Restorative Yoga, Meditation, and Ayurveda.

Mariko is the innovator of Tridoshic Yoga™, a comprehensive and unique synthesis of Yoga andAyurveda, representing the culmination of her in-depth studies in both disciplines.

A former professional dancer (ballet and modern dance) with rigorous training in both Western (NYU premedical studies) and Eastern systems of medicine (Traditional Chinese Medicine & Ayurveda), her instruction integrates analysis, intuition and poetry to guide her students through the multidimensional practice that is Yoga.

Her teaching style offers solid grounding in precise physical alignment on one hand, while honoring the depth of Yoga’s spiritual tradition and exploring the boundaries of creative innovation on the other. She is known for her vibrant, fluid style and her ability to articulate the inner dynamics of Yoga that breathes new life into ancient wisdom.

In the late 90’s, the experience of serving cancer patients led her to study Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda in search of  a healing modality that could complement Yoga in making a difference in people’s lives.

In 2003, she received a full scholarship grant from the government of India to study Ayurveda (the ancient holistic medicine of India) full-time at Gujarat Ayurved University, one of the top Ayurveda universities in India. She is one of the very few Western scholars to have graduated from the 5 ½-year B.A.M.S. degree program in India, the most comprehensive program available in the field.

Having spent a greater part of the past 10 years living in India to study the various allied disciplines of Yoga, such as Sanskrit, Ayurveda, Indian philosophy, and classical Indian music, Mariko draws on a rich tapestry of knowledge-base and experience to inspire her teaching.

Mariko’s teachers and mentors include Yoga Masters Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Sri Vijayeshwari Devi, Swami Dayananda Saraswathi, Yoga instructors John Friend and Rudrani Farbman as well as Drs. Vasant Lad, Subash Ranade, and Avinash Lele.