Teacher Spotlight: Brooke Brandon
Brooke Brandon is the founder of Studio Nada, located in the city center in Hämeenlinna.
Meet Brooke – Strength, Resilience & the Art of Starting Over
When life threw Brooke a curveball, she turned it into a yoga pose. After moving to Finland in 2022, losing her remote job, and enduring 18 months of job applications with little success, Brooke decided to rewrite her story. Trading her business suit to yoga pants, she dove headfirst into a new career – and hasn’t looked back since.
Brooke’s shift to teaching yoga highlights her belief in the power of movement to ground us in chaotic times. Her journey from Chicago to San Francisco, then to Helsinki, and even Guatemala for yoga training, gives her a rich perspective she shares in her classes. Brooke’s teaching style is a mix of tradition, passion and practicality, with a keen eye for alignment and a knack for making yoga accessible to all. Expect clear instructions, deep dives into posture workshops, and thoughtful integration of yoga philosophy – all served with a dose of approachable wisdom.
Outside of yoga, Brooke is refreshingly down-to-earth. She’s a fan of TV nights, candy runs, and navigating Finnish life as an American – all while teaching yoga entirely in English. Join Brooke to explore how movement can bring structure and calm to your world.
– Short bio written by Iida Mustakallio for Sagayoga
What inspires your teaching style?
My teaching style is inspired by classical tantra which is nondual; it's based on the idea of oneness and recognizing that everything in the universe is a manifestation of one divine, infinite consciousness. This gives us the power to be less judgemental toward others and ourselves. It gives us the freedom to enjoy the mundane things in life, to be content with and recognize how wonderful and beautiful our lives truly are. This even includes heavy or difficult emotions. They are not flaws; they are simply intense, condensed forms of cosmic energy (Shakti). The philosophy and history of these teachings is truly fascinating to me and just makes so much sense as a template for dealing with the difficulties of life.
This idea that even we are manifestation of one divine, infinite consciousness inspires my teaching through the way I guide people through yoga asana. I guide the practice so it is a very embodied way of moving. I will often say in class something like "make tiny refinements and adjustments and notice how the sensation changes," and this is a form of embodiment. It's a way of learning to tune into our bodies instead of being in our thoughts all the time. When we practice tuning into the body, we drop out of the busyness of the mind and begin to connect with other aspects of our being – that divine, infinite consciousness.
I am inspired by physics, the idea that everything is essentially energy. I am inspired by my own experiences in yoga which go back to my first class in 2001. I am inspired by the people in the room when I teach. I am inspired by nature. I am inspired by my own hardships in life and how I used the tools of mindfulness, meditation, and yoga to help me handle difficult conversations, relationships, and grief. Life is hard! Yoga helps a lot!
What’s one cue or teaching mantra you say often?
Find the balance between effort and ease!
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
Before moving to Finland in 2022, I lived in California and worked for Stanford University as a Facility Manager at SLAC – Stanford's Linear Accelerator. I didn't start teaching yoga until I moved to Finland. I miss some parts of that work, but I wouldn't change anything about my life now. It's an honor to teach yoga and I pinch myself when I look at my life now – teaching yoga and operating a yoga studio in the sweetest town of Hämeenlinna. It's a bit surreal, and I love that.
Brooke teaches Gentle Flow, Vinyasa, Power Vinyasa, and Sculpt at Studio Nada.