André Riehl
André Riehl is a lifelong practitioner and teacher of traditional yoga, deeply rooted in the wisdom of ancient lineages and committed to making this knowledge accessible to the modern world.
His journey with yoga began at the age of 11, marking the start of a lifelong inner quest shaped by devotion, study, and transmission.
At 24, he embarked on a transformative stay in a Himalayan monastery, which led to years of wandering through India, meeting traditional masters and immersing himself in classical and tantric yoga practices. A pivotal encounter with Kashmiri Babu, a wandering ascetic of the Shaiva tradition, brought him into a deep retreat and study of non-dual teachings, grounding his spiritual foundation.
Profoundly influenced by meetings with J. Krishnamurti and Sri Anandamayi Ma, André explored the paths of self-inquiry, discrimination, and relational presence — elements that continue to shape his approach to yoga and inner transformation. The decisive turning point came with his meeting with Chandra Swami Uddasin, an ascetic from the Udasin Brahmanic lineage, whose transmission unified and illuminated the teachings André had received across traditions.
Returning to France, André dedicated several years to studying the art of teaching yoga from four major lineages: Swami Sivananda, Lucien Ferrer (Yoga of Energy), Nil Houtoff, and Sri T.K.V. Desikachar, before becoming a teacher himself.
A passionate writer and translator, he authored Le Prince des Forêts (a French adaptation of the Rāmāyaṇa), produced Sanskrit chanting CDs (Mantra Sādhana and Vākya), two instructional videos on traditional yoga, and translated eight major works on the inner path.
In 1992, André was named President of the French Federation of Traditional Yoga (FYT) and founded seven yoga teacher training schools across France, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. Today, he is the founder and director of: Somapa, a center for yoga study and practice in Avignon, France, and Prana Bindu, an international yoga retreat center in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India.
He also leads seven international Nidra Yoga training schools in Europe, North Africa, and Asia, and is the founder and director of the Nidrâ Yoga International Network, active in over 20 countries including India, France, Germany, Japan, Iran, Morocco, Peru, and China.
A disciple of Chandra Swami, André’s work is devoted to the authentic transmission of Nidrâ Yoga, integrating traditional scriptural knowledge with the experiential depth of self-realization.
His teachings include: conscious movement and energy work, breath practices and subtle pranayama, deep relaxation and dream awareness, intuition and sensory expansion, Sanskrit chanting and inner stillness, study of sacred texts and meditative inquiry.
André has also contributed to academic research on the effects of Nidrâ Yoga on the brain in collaboration with the University of Pisa (Italy), and serves as a guest professor at the universities of Pune, Mumbai, Jabalpur, and Ujjain in India.
He is an honored member of several global organizations, including:
European Yoga Federation (Board Member)
European Union of Yoga (Communication Council)
Indian Yoga Association (IYA)
World Parliament of Spirituality (Hyderabad, India)
Ujjain Yoga Life Society (Advisory Board)
United Nations Yoga Ambassador
Advisor for the International United Consciousness NGO
André has organized delegations for global events and continues to guide international seminars, retreats, and training programs — weaving together the timelessness of yogic knowledge with the needs of contemporary seekers.
His mission is clear: to carry forward the ancestral essence of yoga, nurturing a holistic, awakened way of being — one that unites body, breath, consciousness, and spirit into a path of liberation and embodied wisdom.