Mariela Cruz is quite a force.  She has been a student of Sharathji Jois since 2003. She first arrived in Mysore to Gokulam and there was no internet so she simply knocked on the door and Pattabhi Jois opened and invited her into the family terrace. 

That same day she met her Guru Sharath and he asked her to stay for one month only. Busy with children and family responsibilities back in her then country Costa Rica she was not able to stay but tasted the honey and could only think about going back to India. 

Mariela's favourite quote is practice and all is coming. She feels our lives will be completely transformed because our minds are made new with our practice. Our lives in samsara will be completely dismantled yet something precious it’s on its way.

She has been to Mysore many times and finished third series in November 2019 with her Guru. She has also assisted him in his shala. Mariela is a lawyer with 3 masters and was appointed Ambassador of Costa Rica to India 2016-2018.

Since then she is lucky to live in India close to her Guruji. Mariela is the mother of Hernan, Adriana, Ariel, Gabriel, Gael, Theo and Matias. She is blessed beyond the beyond with the magic of “Seventh Series.”

She has plenty of experience sustaining the practice of Ashtanga through pregnancies and post partum and the creativity to raise a family and yet hold the demands of practice.

She loves playing the piano. Her favourite composers are Bach, Beethoven, Debussy and Chopin.