My Story
„Embracing the name 'stretching panda,' I am Elle Todorova
My journey into yoga was unconventional. At 18, I left Belgium for Munich to train as a musical performer. However, a serious injury changed my path. After earning a Master of Arts in Cultural Studies at LMU Munich in 2009, I founded my own company in 2014.
For over a decade, I worked as an art director and project manager. My yoga journey began in 2015 during a transformative trip to India, where I completed my first Ashtanga/Vinyasa Yoga teacher training in Goa. I further trained in Ashtanga Primary Series with Kristina Karitinou in Crete, Liquid Flow Yoga with Simon Park in Munich, and Kundalini Bodywork Level 1 & 2 with Elliott Saxby.
In 2019, I founded Stretching Panda—a holistic health haven offering yoga asana, sound healing, meditation, and kundalini bodywork. Through annual retreats, I create a conscious space for healing and transformation, helping individuals find relief from everyday stress.
The name "Stretching Panda," inspired by my children, reflects their favorite animal and my power animal, symbolizing serenity and balance. Pandas remind us of Yin and Yang, life's dualities of light and darkness. Our mission is to foster equilibrium, allowing these contrasts to harmonize. Fittingly, yoga includes 'Anahatasana,' or 'the panda stretch,' aligning with our vision. Like pandas, we stretch to nurture ourselves.
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Stretching Panda Family
Yoga is about much more than just the practice. Yoga is a lifestyle, an everyday attitude to life that challenges us to constantly develop, to grow beyond ourselves, to observe ourselves and to get out of judgment so that space for inner peace can arise. We are not walking this path alone stretching panda family is a place for inspiring and supporting each other and together on the way to a fulfilling life of progress by sharing holistic approaches such as yoga, meditation, energy work and personal development. By exchanging knowledge, experiences and positive energy we can encourage each other to develop our full potential and to achieve a harmonious balance between body, mind and soul. Become part of the stretching panda family. Join one of our next Reset & Restart Retreat or sign up for the newsletter to get all the latest news.