MERETE SMEDEGAARD
I’m so glad you’re here.
The most important thing for me as a teacher is to create an inspiring space where you can experience yourself through movement, breath, and presence.
I have a background in modern dance. If you’re not familiar with this dance style, it can be described as an abstract form of ballet, a type of performance art, or theater dance.
Modern dance is fundamentally supported by extensive training, in my case, seven years of dance education. Within all this technical skill, the focus is on discovering and refining one’s personal movement expression.
I have always practiced yoga as part of my training and maintenance as a dancer. Seven years ago, I began teaching yoga regularly. Since then, I have completed three yoga teacher trainings: two with a focus on Ashtanga and Vinyasa Yoga, and one in Restorative Yoga. One of these was completed in Denmark, another in India, and the third on Nusa Lembongan, an island near Bali.
Five years ago, I started MEREYOGA in Viborg, offering regular weekly classes, corporate training, and private sessions. I managed all of this alongside my part-time position as a dance and yoga teacher at Viborg Højskole.
My journey to India sparked a great desire to travel and a dream began to take shape—traveling to distant, warm countries and sharing my yoga with other travelers.
Before long, I found work in Indonesia and moved to Nusa Lembongan, the most beautiful little paradise island. There, I worked as a Retreat Manager at Yogabliss Lembongan, where I took care of all aspects of guests’ stays and taught them yoga daily, both morning and evening.
It was an amazing time where I learned an incredible amount. When the pandemic hit, my workplace closed, but I decided to stay on the island and gradually began my work in online teaching, which I have since become very passionate about.
Until the summer of 2023, I held a one year position as the acting director of Aarhus Dance Education, where I managed the daily operations of the program and taught dance and yoga to the students. I now live in Helsinki with my partner and work as a yoga teacher at SAGAYOGA and ROOTS, while continuing to be associated with Aarhus Dance Education as a choreographer for their final performance.
I am so grateful that I can meet my students both in a yoga studio and on a computer screen—no matter how my teaching takes place, I bring my whole heart with me, and it’s wonderful to feel that this is exactly what it’s all about when we create the right connection with each other. From heart to heart.
I love witnessing people feel and find themselves in movement and breath, and especially in the spaces in between.
We work with the body you have! Yoga is not a performance, but a conversation with the soul.
Namasté,
Merete
WORDS FROM MY YOGA STUDENTS
“I enjoy doing yoga with Merete so much. It’s wonderful to challenge my body. Merete is great at putting together amazing sequences that leave the body feeling lighter and more free afterwards.”
— Mette
“Merete has an incredible understanding of the body, and her awareness that all bodies are different and capable of different things means she is always great at modifying exercises and adapting them to individual needs. For me, yoga with Merete is like giving my body and mind a big, loving hug.”
— Camilla
“The private sessions with Merete are fantastic! The classes are tailored to my needs and preferences, helping to relieve sore shoulders that have been bothering me for ages and allowing me to work on my posture. It’s a wonderful break from everyday life and a pleasure to work with Merete.”
— Nina Kim Eriksen
“Merete is a skilled and inspiring yoga teacher. She manages to teach online in a way that feels natural and engaging. Merete is great at creating flow in the exercises, so you are constantly moving, and her classes are accessible regardless of your level. Her sessions are always well-prepared with many variations, so it never gets boring.
Participating in Merete’s classes provides excellent training for core muscles and improves overall body flexibility. She places a strong emphasis on using the breath to create calm, relaxation, and control over the body. I highly recommend Merete’s teaching. I always look forward to attending her yoga classes.”
— Regitze
“I highly recommend Merete. I have the most amazing 1:1 sessions with her, and I look forward so much to Monday when a new session awaits. My body feels fantastic after the yoga class. If you want to do something good for your body and soul, Merete is definitely the one you should book.”
— Betina Schmidt
“The 1:1 online sessions with Merete are present, engaging, and challenging. Merete manages to meet me where I am in my body each day, so I experience growth and deepening in my yoga practice. Private instruction with Merete is wonderful and inspiring in every way.”
— Kirsten Koldbro
“Yoga with Merete is the best thing I have done for myself. It is attentive yoga that nourishes both body and mind—exactly as yoga should be. I practice yoga with Merete in my living room, at the summer house, in the garden, and on vacations, and I always look forward to it and feel wonderful during and afterward. In a difficult time, yoga with Merete lifted me up. Yes, it’s a bold statement, but it’s true nonetheless. Physically and mentally, I felt stronger and happier, and I felt better about myself. Merete is professional, skilled, present, and inspiring—so inspiring that it made me want to take a yoga teacher training course.”
— Louise Guldstrøm