I was born in 1976 in Germany, Cologne, however when I was twelve my parents decided to move back to Turkey, as Istanbul was our home city. My enthusiasm and passion for the German language allowed me to complete the German Language and Literature course of Istanbul University in 1998. During my studies at the University I worked part-time in Tourism Agencies and also gave private lessons in German language.
At that time, I didn’t really know what it was that I wanted to do as a full time occupation, so while I experienced many different jobs, I soon realised that what I was doing, was not important to me. I needed to enjoy what I was doing.
For some time I worked in various jobs, including time as a Foreign Trade Manager in an advertising company, a banquette coordinator at a five star hotel, I also sang in a five star hotel bar, I worked as a German teacher at a Turkish school, I did documentary translations for TV channels, and one point I even traded in recycling from completely worn-out materials.
When I first started giving Yoga lessons I found that I had a new direction. Whilst progressing in Yoga, I did book translations from German to Turkish, part time. I am still a registered translator at Goethe Institute, but today I write my own books.
My Yoga Path
To become a fully qualified Yoga teacher, I first completed my 500 hours Yoga Alliance Teacher Training with two Turkish yoga teachers; Zeynep Aksoy and Mey Elbi.
With Sudakha and one of the most well know teachers, Sarah Powers, I completed a meditation and yin yoga teacher training course. Following on from this I continued with Paulie Zink’s* Yin and Yang Teacher Training for a further 200 hours. I then went on to complete another teacher training course with Mantak Chia relating to Tao Yin, Elements and Meditation.
I am currently the only Turkish Yin Yoga teacher registered at the Yin Yoga Institute (http://www.theyinyogainstitute.com/Yin_Yoga_Directory.html).
Note*: Paulie Zink taught Paul Grilley, whilst Sarah Powers was a student of Paul Grilley. I did another teacher training course with Mantak Chia concerning to Tao Yin, Elements and Meditation.
I am now registered as E-RYT500 (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher) On Worldwide valid Yoga Alliance and have also my own school there. I have worked and continue to working with doctors and physiotherapists. My qualification as a Pre-natal Yoga Teacher Training was taken on a one to one basis with Turkish yoga teacher, Uygu Baykal, who completed the one and only Yoga University Syvasa in the World.
Me Today
Whenever I have time, I like to travel in order to learn much more from my precious teacher Dylan Werner. I put all my training, everything I have read and all the experiences with my students together, to find my own Yin Yoga, Hatha Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga style.
My additional experiences and qualifications include, being certificated in Fly Yoga and Bar Yoga and I have completed many anatomy & physiology courses.
I have had the chance to work with Tias Little, Dylan Werner, Hart Lazer and Berivan Aslan, who is the represent of Paul Grilley in Turkey.
During the last ten years I have ran teacher training courses in Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga certificated by Yoga Alliance. I have some different yoga courses in cities like Izmir, Ankara, Bodrum, Datca, Antalya and Kayseri. In November 2015 I trained Krav Maga people in London. I also teach visitors Yoga at the clinic “Yasasin Hayat”, which belongs to the renowned Prof.Dr.Osman Muftuoglu.
My personal interest in anatomy and physiology pushed me to come together with well known scientists, authors, doctors and professors from all around the world. Some of them are Dr.Robert Schleip, Prof.ssa Carla Stecco, Dr.Georg Harrer,Dr.Jose Palomar, Dr.Stephen Sandler, Prof.Dr.Winfried Neuhuber, Dr.Paul W. Hodges. In order to broaden my perspective on fascial anatomy, I attended a course in the year 2019 led by Robert Schleip, where we were allowed to learn from carcasses.
In addition, I completed my functional anatomy, sports physiology and nutrition counseling and therapist, food intolerance testing training in Germany. My trainings concerning nutrition keeps going on. While I completed my nutrition consultancy in Germany with a 492-hour training, I also received my nutritional supplement expertise and ketogenic nutrition expertise.
Winter 2015 my book called “Yin Yoga with Berra Sertel” was published.
In 2022, my book, “If There Is No Physician, I Exist, was released.” In 2024 my book “Yoga, a little bit of everything” was released.
From my own perspective, I can’t really classify myself to a specific Yoga style or school because I have no aversions to anyone of them. What I believe is that I can bring all my knowledge together and teach what feel is better and right. If Yoga opens up to us a new way to feel free and fight our addictions, then we should be open to all knowledge. When one thinks that one school is much more important than the other, this will just be a predilection, which will constrict your whole perspective. It’s just like the acceptance of all what you have learned as the right things in your family and refuse all except that one’s you’ve been thought by your family.