Happy Sunrise Yoga Retreats

Students many times at the beginning of a class ask what style of Yoga we will practice.  My most sincere answer would be "improvisational" based on what I see as everyone's abilities and needs for that practice in the moment!  Although many time to not overly complicate introductions I will say a blend of Vinyasa and Yin Yoga without a "planned sequence".   Now if I were to tell new students I also.occassionally get very experimental and lead an entire class with the Eyes Closed!! ?Why?? Well it has a method of working for me... I use this for very simple seated mat practices more restorative yoga style and I listen carefully to each student's breath as we transition between asanas or when holding a posture for some minutes to know when they are ready for the counter pose.  Truly speaking nobody ever suggested this to me but it has had very successful outcomes for example a wife brought her husband for his very first yoga class with me and by th

The following yoga postures can be found regularly in the improvisational yoga sequences that I share in class. They come from Hatha, Ashtanga and Vinyasa style practices.   I thought it would be nice to list some of them here with their Sanskrit names for reference. If you would like to request a personal class or wish to be updated on new ones feel free to DM or WhatsApp . :-).  Namaste, Michael Sands..... +94764328555 Instagram @happysunriseyoga YouTube @michaelsandsyoga7809 Burnalong Asanas (Postures) for reference: Halasana = Plough Pose. Vrischkasana = Scorpion. Maraji-Asana = Cat Stretch. Vyaghrasana = Tiger. Shashankasana = Rabbit or Moon Pose. Shashank Bhujangasana = Striking Cobra. Ashwa Sanchalanasana = Equestrian Pose. Ushtrasana = Camel Pose. Supta Vajrasana = Sleeping Thunderbolt. Tadasana = Palm Tree Pose. Tiryak Tadasana = Swaying Palm Tree. Druta Uktasana = Dynamic Energy. Samakonasana = Right Angle Pose. Dwikonasana = Double Angle Pose. Tri

In my most recent Livestream class on Burnalong you can see an unusually sustainable" and comfortable seating posture for the "Simple Pose" seated asana or the "Auspicious Pose" by simply adding a Bean Bag prop!!   😲 Yes!! 🙏🏻🧘🏼‍♂️🧘🏻‍♀️🧘🏾‍♂️🧘🏽‍♀️ Suitable for almost anyone!!  With careful arrangement it can support the knees reducing strain on the hips and the "beans" under the lumbar can provide some moderate lower back support!! 👍 The importance of a stable seated position is reinforced dramatically by the quoted statement of Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh "You must be able to sit in one of the meditation asanas for a full 3 hours at a stretch without the body shaking.  Then only will you gain true Asana Siddhi, mastery over the Asana, and be able to practice the higher stages of Pranayama & Dhyana. If you can be steady in a posture even for 1 hour, you will be able to acquire a one-pointed mind and feel the *atmic anan

With meditation there are "no rules"!  Everyone takes their own personal internal journey and comes out with different experiences!  That unique quality of individuality of every mind within our species reinforces my hopes that humanity can evolve in a positive way!  The possibilities are there we just have to be in tune with the insights we receive via meditation or spontaneous inspiration! .....so that said I share one of my "IT insights" that came to me between the dunes and the sea a few weeks ago! I even felt compelled to share with Elon Musk who I regard as emblamatic visionary of our time!  Therefor below you.can read the letter I sent yesterday the 9th of May 2023.  And we can do a follow up shortly to see if this idea manifests itself 😉 *****Email Copy****** "Dear Elon Musk, My name is Michael Sands and I am a Yoga Instructor with over 23 years enjoying a daily practice shared with students online and in-person. I am writing to propose wha

I am of the belief that Yoga should be accessible to everyone regardless of age or physical limitations!  The people who can most benefit from Yoga are perhaps the most easily discouraged!!   So I have now begun "live streaming" classes on the BurnAlong Platform  Link Here BurnAlong focusing on just using a chair to be seated and follow sequences that can aid reduce or prevent the effects of Rhuematism or Arthritis!    The sequence is based on a special series of Yoga practices from India called Pawanmuktasana which is designed specifically to reduce or prevent the effects of aging and atrophy in the body.  ( The digestive and eye excercises I will cover in the next Blogspot entry!)   This is a very gentle and slow series of techniques that really cover from head to toe a "caring" self-practice that can alleviate stiffness in the body and improve comfort in daily life! So please join me on the BurnAlong Platform or you can see a few Chair Yo

For me taking Techno Yoga "Streaming Online" with BurnAlong (see....  Link BurnAlong ) has been a big step in opening up to the public a "Self-practice" routine I developed during COVID!!  As there were no discos or sunset beach terraces to enjoy to move with the 🎶🎧🔊music🥺... A home remedy🙌 was required!!  As luck would have it my roommate during this time was a DJ (and still is!! ;-).  So it didn't take long to just start dancing and then start exploring and expiramenting how the music "felt" in various Yoga Postures (asanas).  I found that more "grounded" postures with 3 or 4 points of support were great to really enjoy a whole track whilst of course closing the eyes and still maintaining awareness of breath!   The other series of asanas that I found really enjoyable with music were inversions but again with a forearm and head or palms and head to at least have a nice triangle base for support!!  I believe any m

The TRX was invented in 1997 by a US Navy Seal on a recon mission in the field.  He wanted to stay trained and with a bit of creativity and his Jujitsu Belt 🥋 he created the first home-made Y shaped suspensión tranier!! TRX is now a staple accessory to the world of Cross-Fit and also is good enough as a Stand-Alone fitness routine! Key Benefits of TRX : **Works with only your own body weight🤸 **Complimentary to other sports training **Use of breath, balance and awareness is very similar to aspects of Yoga 🧘‍♂️or AeroYoga🧘🏽‍♀️ training! **Versatile & Portable!! Weighs less than 2kg and is occupied less space than a PC Tablet!  **Setup virtually anywhere! Hotel door, tree, fitness bars .... even a car door!! 😅 Photo Shoot done at arguably the most TRX friendly Hotel Room Ever!!! With the special feature of a 🌲 Tree 🌴 TIE-UP point inside!! 🤗👍 Arana Eco Lodge & Yoga Center - Ella, Sri Lanka 077 560 3006 Google Pin. Arana Eco

5.30am Meditation & Pranayama🧘‍♂️ (Self-Practice) 6.30 to 7.15am Asanas Vinyasa🤸(Live BurnAlong)  7.30am Yoga Shala Class at Retreat Centre (Physical Studio Group) 9.00am TRX 10 Minutes 💪(Live BurnAlong) 10am Breakfast😋 10.30am Reading & Class Planning 📚📖 13.30 Lunch😋 15.00h Techno 🎶🎧Yoga (Live BurnAlong) 19.00h Dinner😋 20.00h Chair🪑 Yoga or Meditation Idea💡 Share (Live BurnAlong) 21.00h Nitey Nite 😴🛌💤 @michaelsandsyoga