The Underground of Yoga
A Personal Yoga Journey Through Lineage, Freedom, and Self-Discovery
As we all shuffle and shift to reposition ourselves on a planet spiralling out of orbit, I feel like letting go of the reins. I want to trust life as I used to when inner technology was still a thing and magnetism was real. Life unfurled in mysterious moments, weaved on a garland of serendipitous synchronicities without mobile phones or laptops.
I pause here to question whether this urge to let go is a genuine strategy to face reality or a habitual escape. I have a history of trying to avoid difficult situations, yet somehow, difficult situations always find me. How else would I grow?
Searching for Freedom Through Psychedelics and Philosophy
I recall the introspective angst of my first Yoga class in 1995 when I swear the Sivananda teacher could see that I had been tripping on acid over the weekend. The emerging techno scene in Cape Town captured my attention. At the same time, I was immersed in Freudian and Jungian ideas at university. Seeking a way out of my conservative Christian upbringing, I desperately yearned for a guru, a shaman, a drug, or any shortcut to transcend the depression and low self-esteem that tormented my existence. I wanted insight into the unknown realms of my psyche to become unstuck from societal norms.
Lessons from the Shadows of the Spiritual Path
Holy cow, I found some interesting shocks and knocks along the way. When you are vulnerable, you attract vultures looking for prey. The spiritual world is full of well-meaning manipulators. A single stay at an ashram in India can reveal a kaleidoscope of light and dark rays, reflected in pumping pop studios all over the West.
One GURU-ific authority after another has suppressed my raw heartbeat, fleshy body, and provocative thoughts. I’ve tried too many ‘one size fits all’ formulas to count to fix what has never been broken. And yet, the question of freedom remains. Am I trying to escape or face reality as it truly is?
Finding Lineage and Building a Practice
Shamanic explorers left society and indoctrinated religions in ancient India to pursue freedom through direct experience. Tried and tested Yoga tools have been passed along lineages from the time of the Buddha and Patanjali. Yoga teachers who have experienced this un-gated freedom are helpful guides. Ultimately, Yoga is an individual path that can only be realized from within. Even when we are on a grounded transformational journey, things can falter. Wherever people gather, there is politics.
A pivot in my search for meaning came in 1999 when I found BKS Iyengar’s book Light on Yoga in a tiny bookshop in Polzeath. The philosophy section of the book awakened such inspiration to change my life that I started a daily self-practice routine on the concrete floor of an ablution block in the caravan park where I was staying. No sticky mat, just proper passion. A decade later, I touched Guruji’s feet at the Institute in Pune. A huge milestone. The tears in my eyes were softened by his smile.
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Between Ashtanga and Iyengar: Embracing Both Worlds
Controversially, in the same year, I also secretly traveled to Mysore to deepen my Ashtanga Yoga practice. I had clearly found my path to freedom, yet for many years, my Yoga repertoire was overshadowed by fear and guilt. In some circles, it was (and still is) taboo for Yoga students to openly practice both Ashtanga and Iyengar Yoga. Yet I am so perplexed as to why? These seemingly opposite Yoga styles originate from the same Krishnamacharya lineage and perfectly expose each other’s blind spots.
Little did I imagine back then that Yoga would pop into a jelly-tot array of styles and become a multi-billion dollar global industry. As traditional Yoga politics subside but confusion and competition amplify, I am sincerely grateful for my obscure, old-school, eclectic Yoga experiences while growing up.
Reintegrating the Self: Practice in the Modern World
My awkward shyness is still with me. I prefer introversion in my cave, but as a career yoga teacher, I have to show up in public. And this is my practice now, to reintegrate back into society. Learning to stay when challenging emotions arise and not run away when difficult situations confront me. And responsibly Yin myself into union with the infinite source of life while keeping one foot firmly on the ground. Objectively observing the unfolding and enfolding of reality on this planet, in this galaxy, in this universe, that is ever expanding.
Melanie de Villiers
Melanie de Villiers is a yoga teacher based in Madeira, Portugal. She is originally from Cape Town, South Africa. She’s been teaching since 2009 and practicing since 1995, when her psychology studies led her to explore Eastern philosophy. She is certified in Iyengar Yoga (RIMYI) and Vinyasa Yoga (Yoga Alliance), so her teaching blends precision with intuition.
After a personal health crisis, Melanie found healing through Yin Yoga and trained with Bernie Clark. Her classes now reflect a non-dogmatic, somatically aware approach that values self-discovery over performance. With experience across India, Thailand, South America, and beyond, she brings authenticity, curiosity, and reverence to every class, viewing yoga as a path of healing and personal evolution.
