Ancelin

My name is Ancelin, and I was born in 1992 near Paris, France.
I have been practicing and teaching yoga since 2019.

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I've been passionate about sports since childhood, thanks in part to my parents: my father, a physical education teacher, and my mother, a dance teacher.
I’ve practiced many sports, including judo, climbing, mountaineering, and hip-hop dance (though nothing on my hands yet).

At the age of 6 or 7, when most kids dream of becoming firefighters or astronauts, I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps and become a PE teacher.

So, after earning my science high school diploma (Bac S), I pursued that path.

After three years of studying sports science (STAPS) at university—while still practicing sports almost daily—I decided to quit. I was tired of studying; it was too difficult, and I couldn't picture myself spending two more years completing a master's degree and preparing for the CAPEPS teaching exam.
So, I dropped out, took a two-year break, played a lot of video games (yes, I'm a huge geek), and worked occasionally as a youth activity leader in a leisure center.

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Then, I decided to go back to studying and earned a BPJEPS certification to become a sports instructor. During this period, I did part of my internship with my mother, who works at INSEP (the National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance) and created the Yoga and Performance department there.

That’s when I started to immerse myself in yoga, taking courses and training. After just a month or two, I began teaching my first classes.

I led my first full training cycle on the splits with the French national synchronized swimming team. Let me tell you—at that time, I was far from flexible, while all the girls in front of me were incredibly supple! It was a very effective way to confront the impostor syndrome head-on.
This first, challenging experience went so well that when I obtained my diploma, I decided to focus solely on yoga rather than general sports education. The French synchronized swimming team chose to continue working with me, as did the French modern pentathlon team.

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I also started working with the French Education system, introducing yoga to primary school children in underprivileged areas of Aulnay-sous-Bois. I founded my association, Reliance Yoga, to teach yoga in my hometown. At the same time, I expanded my work to corporate settings and even hospitals (especially in psychiatric units).

It wasn’t until 2021 that I started teaching in Parisian yoga studios, thanks to an invitation from Mathieu Boldron at Studio Lomey. At that time, I was juggling many different roles, teaching a variety of students—from young children to elite athletes at INSEP—with an intense schedule: over 30 hours of classes per week and more than 20 hours spent commuting.

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Over the years, I gradually reduced my commitments to focus only on INSEP and Parisian yoga studios. This also allowed me to dedicate more time to leading yoga teacher training and retreats in France and around the world.

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Today, I’m leaving Paris and all the wonderful people I’ve met here to start fresh in Lisbon, Portugal. I needed a new beginning, to step out of my comfort zone and challenge myself.
This life change is also an opportunity for me to take more time for myself and focus on my social life, which I have often neglected in the past.