Manel grew up in a charming town called Sintra in Portugal. A lifestyle shaped by surfing, sports, and nature defined his early years. After finishing high school, Manel moved to San Diego, where he began his career as a yoga teacher. Since then, he has studied with many of the world’s leading teachers.

Manel began his yoga practice at the age of 12 within the Sivananda system. Later, at 18, after moving to California, he practiced Ashtanga Yoga, which had a profound influence on his love for and dedication to yoga. He also immersed himself in Anusara Yoga while simultaneously deepening his practice of Acroyoga (certified in 2007). Although Manel has always enjoyed exploring different yoga styles, Anusara has been the most influential in shaping his teaching. After meeting and practicing with many of the world’s top teachers, the most influential among them were Sianna Sherman (for several years as her main assistant and co-teacher), John Friend, Michael Fukumura, and Jason Nemmer. More recently, Manel has devoted himself deeply to the philosophy and history of yoga, as well as to all the tools relevant to his school and his students.

Manel founded his yoga school, the Manu School of Yoga, based on a method called Precision & Flow. This school of Hatha Yoga combines precision—understood as a deep awareness of all aspects of yoga—with flow, representing creativity and dynamic expression in every practice and in every teacher.