Swami Lakshmanjoo
Shala Mandala was founded in May 2016 by my sisters and me, in the splendid setting of Calabria, Southern Italy.
It came to life thanks to the generous support of our parents, Elisabetta and Giuseppe, who believed in my vision to bring yoga, meditation, and conscious movement into our local community.
Our intention has always been to create a space where ancient wisdom meets contemporary life, where people can come together to reconnect—with themselves, with each other, and with the sacred.
— Simha
Simona Nucera
Passionate about classical studies and fine arts since a very young age, I began traveling in 1992 for study and later work, living between the UK, India, Indonesia, the USA and lately New Zealand.
My life has always been spiritually oriented. I grew up in my grandmother’s spiritual community, connected to the nuns of Mother Teresa of Kolkata, and I was introduced to traditional yoga at the age of 20 by my beloved aunt, Franca Maria Plutino.
Over the years, I’ve been actively involved in various charities, educational projects, and orphanages both in Italy and abroad—guided by a deep longing to serve and understand the human experience.
Since I was a child, one question has stayed with me:
What happens when we die?
This question has led me on a lifelong journey of inner search, philosophical study, and spiritual practice—a journey that continues to this day, through the work of Shala Mandala and my studies in Ancient Civilizations.
In my busy 30s, while working in the fashion world between London and Milan, I found myself deeply unsatisfied—both with my career as a designer and with life in general. Despite the apparent lifestyle success, something essential was missing.
Then came a turning point. I took a leap—and fell in love with the study of traditional yoga, thanks to Manuela Toso, a devoted student of Swami Yogeshwaranand Saraswati, founder of the Yoga Niketan Parmarth Ashram in Rishikesh.
That encounter opened the door to a new way of living, grounded in ancient teachings, daily practice.
In 2006, I traveled for the first time to China and Southeast Asia, and soon after to South India.
It was during that journey that I encountered one of the most life-changing experiences of my path: my time at the ashram of Sri Ramana Maharshi.
A revered Hindu sage and yogi, Ramana Maharshi’s teachings on Advaita Vedanta—the non-dual nature of the Self and the illusory nature of Maya—left a profound imprint on me.
His central practice of vichāra, or self-inquiry, invited me to turn inward with the simple yet radical question: “Who am I?”
Over the course of three years of exploration, I journeyed through remote sacred sites, received traditional education in yoga āshrams, and eventually settled for a time in Varanasi—one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and a living embodiment of India’s spiritual heart.
There, I deepened my study of Hatha Yoga under the guidance of RavindraJi, a Brahmin priest who once taught at the Pancharatman Mandir in Assi Ghat.
His approach was deeply rooted in the ritual and rhythm of daily life, and through his teachings, I came to understand yoga not only as a physical practice but as a sacred discipline woven into every moment.
In 2012, following the suggestion of my teacher, I returned to work as a designer between London and Los Angeles. During this time, I committed deeply to the Ashtanga Yoga Mysore method, studying with Hamish Hendry in London and Noah Williams in LA—both of whom were among the few Westerners to receive the Advanced Teaching Certification from Sri K. Pattabhi Jois.
By 2016, the call to return to India had grown too strong to ignore. I left everything behind to dedicate myself fully to study and practice. Since then, I have been practicing under the guidance of Guruji Sharath Jois in Mysore, and Sharmila Desai in Morjim, Goa—two teachers whose integrity, discipline, and devotion continue to shape my life and practice.
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Teachers, and Mentors:
Kedar Prado Shastri/BA Banaras Hindu University; Acarya/MA Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya (Sanskrit/Tantra);
Dr. M.A. Ph.D. Jayashree(Yoga sūtras, ślokas) and Professor M.A.Narasimhan (Philosophy and Classical Yoga) Mysore, India;
Vidwan Lakshmish Bhat (Yoga sūtras, ślokas, and Sanskrit ) KPJAYI and SYC Mysore, India;
Peter Sanson Certified Astanga Yoga Teacher from Napier, New Zealand.
During my time in India, I have attended:
In 2009 an immersion course at the Himalayan Iyengar Yoga Center by Sharat Arora a direct student of B. K. S. Iyengar.
In 2010, a Vipassana meditation course by Goenka, after taking refuge in Buddhism with H.H the Karmapa in Sarnath, India;
In 2011 I directly studied HIs Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India. In 2022 I followed 3 days of Teaching on Nagarjuna’s Commentary of Bodhichitta at the Kalachakra Teaching Ground in Bodhgaya; His Holiness also conferred the Blessing of 21 Tara;
In 2018 I took part inMingyur Rinpoche and Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche teaching in Bodhgaya, India;
In 2021 I studied an online course on “The Hindu and Tibetan rivers of Buddhism” by Prof Tenzin Robert Thurman – at Columbia University USA
Ilaria Nucera
I began working in the tourism field during my adolescence in my family business, Tourist Services Srl making important contributions to the hospitality department. After achieving a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations at the University IULM in Milan, I specialized in Event and Congress Management gaining valuable experience at Boscolo Hotels where I worked as a Sales and congress Assistant, and during the summer seasons coordinating the management of the tourist retreats run by my family.
In 2008 I left Milan, and together with my husband, Ludovico Pignatti Morano di Custoza, we devoted our time to renovating an old family farmhouse, restoring it to its ancient splendour. Surrounded by the peaceful countryside of Fano, in the beautiful region of Marche and only 2 km from the sea, Molino Monacelli is a country house with a welcoming rural environment, catering to a clientele wishing to rediscover local foods and traditions. Here is where I live today and where 2015 I began studying Astānga Yoga.
Marilu Nucera
After graduating in Economics from Bocconi University in Milan and working in the financial sector for a renowned consulting firm Ernest & Young, I joined our family business Tourist Services Group Srl, in May 2010. I live in Milan with my 3 kids, where my headquarters is located.
I started practicing Astānga Yoga in 2016, with an authorized KPJAYI level II teacher in Milan and at the Shala Mandala during the Summer.
For info please contact:
Simona Nucera for yoga and meditation classes info@shalamandala.com
Marilu Nucera for the accommodation marilu@rhegiontravel.it