Yoga in Ulpotha

Shirin discovered yoga 15 years ago, just after the birth of her son. Till then she had been a polo player, living a fast-paced life, but life’s twists and turns nudged her towards yoga and a quieter living. The pace of her life changed, and the sense of peace, equilibrium and joy that yoga brought was what was needed.

She trained in Mysore, India and had her own yoga studio Limetree Yoga in Lahore, Pakistan. Apart from having lived in England, Switzerland and Dubai, she has lived all over the subcontinent, in India, Pakistan and has now been in Sri Lanka since 2017. In addition to English, Shirin speaks French, German, Urdu, Hindi, and Sinhala. She is a solo parent who has a daughter who lives in Colombo and a son who is still studying and lives with her.

The classes she offers are inspired by Hatha Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga. They are creative, fun, challenging, and yet breath centric. At the end of it all, when you step off the mat, you will feel energized, nourished and relaxed. She welcomes and encourages people of all ages, sizes, sexes and fitness levels to join, as she believes yoga should be all encompassing.

Her classical yoga training (which includes Ayurveda) and her compassionate attitude have given her the tools to guide students in her classes to modify and adjust when and where necessary. She instils in them confidence and fearlessness, so that they can move their bodies and mind throughout their lives with acceptance and ease.

Through her daily self-practice and taking part in continued contact and non-contact education, her teaching ability evolves continuously. She is inspired to live every moment more mindfully and take even further delight in the small wonders of life. In Ulpotha, her classes/workshops will explore asanas, chakras, mudras, pranayama and meditation.

“I’ve had many teachers over the years, but this has been the one for me. Thank you for teaching, caring and for your knowledge. Just give us more classes!!!!! The best!!!!” Annie Jago, Sri Lanka 

“One of the best teachers I have ever met. Always caring and concerned about providing the best experience for all students, regardless of their experience in yoga. Classes are always, flowing, fun and challenging, just the way I like it!” Ana Lourenco, Portugal

Insight Yoga is a rich intersection of Yin and Yang styles of Yoga, informed by Buddhist Mindfulness and Psychology. Olivia is a long-term student of Sarah and Ty Powers and a deep Dharma Practitioner. Her passion is sharing Buddha Dharma in practical ways and connecting people, as much as possible, to the natural world.

Originally trained in Healing Shiatsu, TCM, Five Elements and Meridian Theory, Olivia offers Yin Yoga Teacher Training, Private Retreats at The Coach House and Silent Retreats, at a larger venue, in Wales UK, where she lives.

A lover of wild landscapes, horses and animals, she has spent time on American Indian Reservations and has a deep respect for indigenous cultures. The Earth is our medicine. It is Home. Our heart-minds need the wild. She trained in Earth Healing and often weaves the Five Elements of Chinese Medicine into her teaching style. "Thousands of tired, nerve shaken, over-civilised people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; wildness is a necessity”. (John Muir 1901) "We are part of the Earth, and it is part of us. We love this Earth as a newborn loves its mother's heartbeat." (Chief Seattle 1854). The tragedy is that so many have lost this deep and essential connection. For this reason, Olivia is thrilled to be invited to teach at Ulpotha. 

Each session will be an invitation to slow down and dive deep into Buddhist Mindfulness, as a Path of Awakening. Olivia's teaching is meditational and strengthening, as well as grounding and restorative. Inclusivity is at the heart of her teaching style. She has been teaching since 1998 and is able to meet diversity and a wide range of ability within a single class.

For the past three years, she has taught at Masters Events: Oxford, the largest trauma and wellbeing conference in Europe.  Here, she weaves together psychological training such as IFS with yoga teaching, every year deepening further her understanding of trauma. In her retreat you will be encouraged to attune to the inner landscape of body, heart, mind, and to track your own territory with sensitivity and care. The mood of Maitri, Loving Awareness, infuses the relational territory that we build with ourselves, each other and the environment. 

Masi is short for Mahsima, meaning "face of the moon" in Persian. She lives and teaches in Ibiza but was born in London to Iranian and French/Swedish parents.  With an upbringing steeped in cultural richness and mysticism and lulled to sleep with Rumi’s poetry, Masi developed a deep love for sacred words. She shares this passion in every class.

Masi began practicing yoga early with her family and fully committed to the yogic path at age 20. Starting in Sivananda ashrams across India, she embraced traditional Hatha and Bhakti Yoga, diving into philosophy and devotional practices. Leaving her career in design over a decade ago, Masi has since studied with respected teachers Angela Farmer, Mark Whitwell, and Bex Tyrer—with whom she completed a traditional apprenticeship in Bali.

The first five years of teaching were fiery and expansive, until a severe back injury forced her to slow down and redefine embodiment. Years of nerve pain and physical collapse led her into deep somatic healing and emotional work. This rebirth reshaped her teaching, rooted in trauma-informed practices, yin yoga, and a deep understanding of the body's wisdom. Modalities like Integrative Quantum Medicine and The Emotion Code helped her unlock the emotional intelligence of the organs, now central to her work.

In Ulpotha, Masi will be offering her signature Hatha Flow, blending pranayama, mantra, mudras, and dynamic movement in the mornings.  Afternoons will be devoted to Yin Yoga & Somatic Enquiry, a slow, trauma-informed journey using tennis balls for myofascial release. Her classes are inclusive, adaptive, and deeply nourishing—designed to help students feel safe, empowered, and connected to their inner wisdom— and suitable for all levels.

Currently, Masi is expanding her knowledge through Gabor Maté’s Compassionate Inquiry, adding new depth to her therapeutic approach. Her mission is to create a loving space where others can unwind, transform, and discover an indestructible inner refuge.

Samanta is one of Mumbai's leading yoga teachers. She unites expertise in Yoga, Thai Massage and Sound Healing to help you rediscover your storehouse of energy. Her Integrated Teaching Method offers benefits of Sivananda, Iyengar and Vinyasa yoga styles, deep relaxation and detox therapies

Samanta has been dedicated to mind-body health for over 20 years. With a lifetime spent practicing Yoga, Jazz Technique and Bharatnatyam, she is able to combine unique perspectives about wellbeing, healing and physiology.

Samanta’s work centers on Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Ayurvedic and Thai Bodywork Therapies, Sound Healing with Tibetan Singing Bowls and Handpan and Vedic Chanting. The Yoga she teaches centers around aspects of  Movement therapy coupled with the more traditional and esoteric practices of Chakras, Mudras, Bandhas, Mantra and Yoga Philosophy.

In July 2008, she partnered with Shaleen Parekh to open India's first boutique yoga studio, Yoga Sutra. Samanta started out in fitness as a teenager, and her journey into the body traversed 15 years as an instructor and lead performer with noted choreographer Shiamak Davar. She then transitioned into practicing and teaching Yoga in the year 2000.

Over the last thirteen years she has explored and mastered several healing therapies for the mind and body. She is an Advanced Teacher of the Sivananda Yoga tradition and is also certified in Yoga Therapy, Yoga for children, as well as Pranayama and Dhyan (Breathwork and Meditation). She has designed and teaches corporate yoga and fitness programs, collective and private classes and international retreats. For more information see www.samantaduggal.com.

Each class at Ulpotha will leave you feeling joyous and peaceful. Find inner strength in mind and body like never before.

"Samanta is so in touch with the energy of the class that she knows exactly what your body and mind need from the practice."
Mirjam Gelink - Netherlands

"Back home, I still join her weekly online sessions - need I say more?"
Anne Hermening - Germany

Rob Hess is one of California’s most experienced and fun teachers of Prana Flow – a delicious blend of gentle flowing but deep asanas, incorporating restorative, therapeutic, meditative and spiritual practices centered around the heart.

Rob’s Teaching has evolved and has come a long way from where he began practicing in Cleveland Ohio to his days teaching in Washington DC to now living in Ventura and owning a studio (Jai Rhythm) with his business partner Colin Brightfield. What drew him to the practice of yoga was the physical part but after years of study and devotion it’s the spiritual part of the practice that feeds his soul. And through this amazing journey he found his home in the Prana Flow community with his teacher Shiva Rea.

While Rob’s style is ever evolving, Rob’s teaching is rooted in Prana Flow: a synthesis-oriented approach to living the art of yoga created by his primary teacher, Shiva Rea. Born from the traditions of classical yoga, Bhakti, Tantra and Ayurveda, Prana Flow integrates various forms of spiritual embodiment practice to reveal yoga as a flow of unity consciousness.

Rob has traveled all over assisting Shiva’s workshops and teacher trainings. And through her guidance he loves to share with others all that he has come to know and hold dear to his heart. Rob’s style of teaching is fun, challenging, and lighthearted as he tries not to take life too seriously. He encourages students to enjoy the journey rather than fighting to get to the destination.

Rob has been leading workshops and trainings all over the U.S. and loves how the power of yoga is universal, that no matter where he goes you can feel an amazing sense of community and love.

Rob has found that through his own sadhana, yoga can free the body and mind from the self limitations we impose on ourselves and that through practice we are able to get in touch with the very essence of who we are. His goal as a teacher is to help students uncover their own personal truth and live a life that is empowered.

People will experience a fun and playful journey to the self.  His teachings are open to all levels.  Whether you come to Ulpotha to relax or you come to challenge your practice, Rob will be offering something for everyone.

One of Ibiza's top yoga teachers, James De Maria has been teaching yoga to adults and kids for over 20 years.

Before coming to Yoga, James trained as a professional dancer at the Central School of Ballet in London and completed his diploma at the London Contemporary Dance School.  He spent his final year expanding his awareness of release technique attending classes with the Siobhan Davis Dance company, under the guidance of Larren Potter, Gill Clarke and Paul Douglas.  During this time James also studied Pilates with Alan Herdman.

Using a choreographic background to break down the fluidity between postures, breath & movement, James combines elements of dance, Pilates and Release Technique to create a balanced style to suit all levels.

Classses include breathing techniques and Mudras to help circulation and the distribution of Prana (life force) throughout our being, relaxation & meditation techniques. The practice of Yoga postures according to one's ability.

KPJAYI Certified

From London, Philippa Asher is one of a few Ashtanga yoga practitioners in the world (and the only British woman), to be Certified by Sri K Pattabhi Jois, to teach the Ashtanga yoga method in his tradition. She has learned the Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A and Advanced B Series directly from Pattabhi Jois and Sharath (at the Krishna Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore, India) and shares the Ashtanga yoga system Internationally (in studios and on retreats) and also Online (Sanskrit Counted Led classes and One-to-Ones).

After a vocational ballet school training from age twelve and twenty-five years of studying and teaching dance at universities and ballet companies all over the UK, Philippa randomly walked into an Ashtanga yoga class in London. It was a life-changing incident, that made complete sense.

From the late 1990s, she began learning/practising the Ashtanga yoga system, daily before work (in the media, film, and music industries). For over twenty years she has studied for several months each year at KPJAYI (now called Sharath Yoga Centre) in Mysore and on tour, practising under the guidance of guru Pattabhi Jois and his grandson Sharath Jois.

In 2006, Philippa established and ran Triyoga Soho’s Ashtanga self-practice programme in London. She taught there for five years before relocating to South India, to build her own shala (on a coffee estate in the Western Ghats).
As well as teaching Mysore-style Ashtanga guided self-practice, led classes and workshops at ASHTANGA NIRVRTA, Philippa also leads workshops and self-practice residencies at studios in London, Europe, Middle East and on retreats worldwide. When not in the studio, she teaches Online One-to-Ones and Sanskrit Counted Primary, Intermediate and Advanced A Series classes and pranayama.

Her approach to sharing yoga asana (from beginners to more seasoned practitioners) is serious, yet light-hearted and joyful. Her emphasis is on good technique, safe alignment, the synchronisation of vinyasa (Sanskrit-counted, coordinated moving/breathing sequences) with tristhana (alignment of breath, gaze points and movement), passing on the exact method as taught by Pattabhi Jois from the late 1990s and embracing the essence of Patanjali’s sutras on yoga and asana.

Philippa’s dedicated passion for Ashtanga yoga, background as a trained dancer and experience as a qualified teacher (Post Graduate Certificate in the Education of Adults), gives her an intuitive and sound understanding of bodies, yoga asanas, people and how they learn. For more information, please visit www.ashtangaphilippa.com

In Ulpotha for this retreat, Philippa will be offering:

• Daily Ashtanga guided self-practice
• Sanskrit-Counted Primary Series
• Afternoon workshops on asana technique, concepts of the method, body opening, pranayama, meditation, philosophy, Q&A etc
• New to Advanced B Series Ashtanga yoga practitioners welcome

France-based Mika de Brito has been teaching yoga for over 25 years and is internationally recognized for his highly atypical approach to yoga.

Traditionally trained, ie in following a master yogi, he was first initiated by Baptiste Marceau (son of the famous French mime artist) to the art of Ashtanga (a dynamic form of yoga originally called Korunta).  This led him to follow the path of a Hindu Swami yogi for several years in the Himalayas, even dwelling in a cave in Gangotree in order to gain insight into a more traditional and meditative style.  Later on he was invited by Sharon Gannon to follow the Jivamukti teachings in New York.  These teachings and many yogic travels and study led him to develop his own very particular style.

Connected to the present, open to the world around him and highly creative, Mika has brought this ancient tradition to his many students around the world.  His demanding and yet playful approach has brought new life into the yogic discipline.  He wants students to rid their minds of modern conditioning and adopt a liberating and compassionate practice, what he calls “being spiritual”, the fundamentals of which are to cultivate a good relationship with oneself, others and the world about us.

He lives in France and shares his time between performing music, writing and teaching yoga in retreats and workshops around the world.

Vinyasa Krama with Mika de Brito

(Dynamic practice open to all levels)

We begin with breathing exercises on a metronomic sound in order to bring AIR into the body, then we slowly light the FIRE with sun salutations and the fire purifies the body by eliminating toxins through the WATER of sweat.  These three éléments stabilise with contact to the EARTH, the asanas, the ground.  Once all of these elements are united, then the fifth element ETHER can make its appearance through Meditation.

Georgia Marnham is a highly qualified Iyengar Yoga teacher with broad experience, having practised Iyengar Yoga for more than 25 years, and lived and taught in Australia, England, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Brazil and now Portugal where she is currently based. She has Junior Intermediate level 3 qualifications and has studied with senior Iyengar teachers from many countries and on several occasions studied at the RMYI in Pune, India with BKS Iyengar, his daughter, Geeta, and son, Prashant.

Mick is a 1000hr Teacher based in Sydney. 200hr Samadhi, 300hr Jivamukti, 500hr Jivamukti mentor, and Advanced cert Jivamukti teacher. Registered with both Yoga Australia and Yoga Alliance.

Mick Barnes stumbled across yoga in Sydney Australia some 20 years ago. He was not looking for yoga, it found him. In chronic pain due to a life-time of living on the edge, at 42 his body had seized up. After a chance meeting with a remedial masseuse, Mick entered into a hand-shake agreement with the therapist to attend yoga three times a week. In return the masseuse would work on his injuries twice a week for free.

At first, Mick did not like yoga at all. It hurt! He wasn’t flexible and felt he was very, very bad at it. But he persevered, making painstakingly slow progress and feeling like a fish out of water. But then, at around the 12-month mark, everything changed. He suddenly grasped the true concept of yoga and realised that it would not only fix his body, but would also help him understand how to live life better and cease to be a slave to his thoughts and emotions. He threw himself into the practice. “You have to! You can’t flirt with yoga. It’s indescribable to say what yoga has given me but suffice to say I am grateful.”

Mick soon realised that he had found his life’s purpose: to share this wonderful ancient path to modern day truth seekers. Following the lineage of 8 Limb Yoga, Mick then studied with many great teachers including Sharon Gannon, David Life, Jivamukti yoga, Greger Maehle, David Garrigues, Anja Kuehnel. And in doing over 1000 hours of training he worked out how to fuse the traditional practices with the modern day to make the practice inclusive and safe for all.

For the last 18 years, Mick has owned and run a yoga school in Sydney Australia (The Yoga Factory) offering classes as well as training many teachers.

At Ulpotha Mick will share his deep knowledge of the body as well as his insightful understanding of yogic wisdom and practice in his inclusive and down to earth style. Mick’s yoga is always accessible to all ages, levels of experience and physical ability.

Morning classes will be building foundations and bringing awareness to the importance of bandha, drishti, and breath. From these fundamentals, you will progress over the weeks to new challenges with variations to suit all. Afternoon classes will include some asana work and kriyas, pranayama, and meditation.

You will leave Ulpotha rested, relaxed, strong, and with a vastly deeper knowledge of yoga.

"Mick is the best yoga teacher I have had in 40 years" Igor Dandik, BSports Med

London-based Florentina’s training stems from the Hatha and Vinyasa Flow traditions. She has been teaching regular classes at TriYoga and other studios around London for the last 10 years and teaches retreats in Egypt, Morocco, France and the UK.

Florentina draws inspiration from yogic texts, and her teachers Jason Crandell, Doug Keller & Judith Hanson Lassater.

Her classes are creative, explorative, fun and nourishing with attention to detail in alignment, breath and awareness of felt sensations in the body.

Inspired by the natural immersive beauty of Ulpotha, Flo will be drawing upon the elements of the Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether, sound and space and Ayurveda (the science of life) as the basis of our daily yoga practice. We will also explore the different Koshas ( layers and sheaths) and the chakras (energetic body) that make up the intricate web of who we are and all the elements in the universe we are connected to.

Her morning classes in Ulpotha will offer sequences to help you build strength, stamina and flexibility, with some optional challenges for the more experienced yogis. She encourages you to develop your practice according to your pace. Her aim is that you will leave feeling nicely balanced & uplifted, yet relaxed and calm.

Evening classes will be a mix of yin and restorative yoga alternating with deliciously relaxing yoga nidra infused with the ethereal and mesmerising sounds of crystal singing bowls to delight and soothe the senses.

Lila is a leading Kundalini Yoga, Stress Relief Yoga and Yin Yoga teacher and therapist based in Copenhagen. She also offers relaxation and sound therapy as well as mindfulness with healing.

She holds urban retreats in Copenhagen and weekend retreats in nature in Denmark and leads longer yoga trips to India and Brazil.

With a background in holistic body and healing, Lila trained in Kundalini Yoga in the US and Italy under the guidance of Sada Sat Singh and Sada Sat Kaur, Carolyn Cowan, Snatam Kaur and Mirabei Ceiba and has been a certified KRI since 2013. She has also trained in Non-Dual Therapy with Nukunu Larsen in Denmark and stress relief, anxiety and depression Yoga teaching with Carolyn Cowan in London.

She is also trained in Yin Yoga teaching inspired by Sarah Powel and in sound-healing with Tibetan and crystal singing bowls and is currently studying to be a Rudolf Steiner inspired anthropology psychotherapist.

Lila also has a lifelong interest in aromatherapy and has studied the plants and their effect on the human mind and wellbeing. She often integrates the aromatherapy in her classes. She has practiced Reiki Healing since 1999 and became a Reiki master teacher in 2001. For almost 20 years, Lila has educated others in the techniques of healing and activating their own healing energy to gently lead body and mind into a more loving and relaxed placed.

In Ulpotha, Lila’s yoga instruction will focus on stress relief and joy. She will be combining soft Kundalini Yoga, Mantra Meditation, Yin Yoga and Aromatherapy to enable you to connect deeper within your body, mind and soul to an awareness of gratitude and love. Kundalini Yoga uses a lot of breathwork and moving with the breath, Lila guides it in a gentle dynamic way to relax and uplift your soul.

Lila teaches yoga from a soft and joyful heart space and through the exercises in her yoga class, you will be able to release toxins, tensions and old mind structures and open up for life energy to stream through your body in a greater flow. The yoga can also be dynamic, with conscious breathing to uplift and strengthen your inner power.

Melissa Smith, M.A., LMHC, and Yoga Alliance ERYT® 500 educator in Yoga Therapeutics, Restorative and Sustainable Yoga, and Mindfulness Educator.

As an international yoga retreat coordinator, Alzheimer's and other Dementias caregiver advocate, and trauma-informed yoga teacher, her teaching style emphasizes mindful, sustainable, and functional movement and strength. Classes are grounded in biomechanics and yogic philosophy, and allow for deep rest. Her desire is for students to connect within and integrate their intuition in practice, allowing each student to listen deeply to their own body’s needs. Melissa is adept at working with Injuries, aging, and special conditions, from beginners to more experienced individuals.

With more than 30 years in the health and wellness field, she credits her teachers —Leeann Carey, Jules Mitchell, Stephanie Adams, Nicolai Bachman, Donna Farhi, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, Lance Schuler, and her first mentor, Carie Garrett —for laying the foundations and fostering her continued growth.

A native Texan, Melissa resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with her rescue dog, Eddie, and offers classes and bespoke retreats at www.PranavaYoga.Studio. Melissa is also a New Mexico licensed practicing psychotherapist (LMHC) specializing in life’s transitions, grief/loss, and trauma modalities.

Melissa will guide you through mindful, slow and empowering yoga sessions that include traditional yoga postures, somatic movement, mantra, restorative poses and meditation. Through this inquiry based practice, you will feel embodied, awake and aware in your body, mind and spirit. Some evenings we will venture to practice therapeutic Thai Yoga Massage and restorative yoga in addition to quietening Yoga Nidra sessions.

Wade found yoga in the late 90's during his travels and since then has made it his passion to discover alternative techniques for furthering growth of mind and spirit and for healing the body. He's taught in Asia, Greece, South America and the U.S. and is always excited about sharing new discoveries.

Wade teaches a unique fusion of styles derived from his travels and from the inspirations of teachers like Dharma Mittra and Rusty Wells. His certifications in Ashtanga/Vinyasa, Thai and Intuitive Massage, and Touch for Health added with his meditation and Advaita studies in India with Ramesh Balsekar have given him many gifts to be thankful for and share with others...

His teaching style is structured but at the same time very playful and always gives options of openness, depth and strength so that everyone will be challenged and can share their energy. The Advaitic principles of 'oneness and non separation' are the dharmic principles to his teachings.

On his retreats you can expect a daily creative vinyasa flow based practice, with individual attention to challenging poses deconstructed and a daily restorative practice infused with meditation, dharma and thai yoga. He strives to find interesting ways to keep others inspired and connected and receiving inspiration from others is what keeps his love for yoga alive. www.wadeyoga.com

Claire Saunders is a dedicated student of the traditional Ashtanga Yoga method. She has travelled to India almost yearly since 1999 to study yoga, Indian music (with a focus on the bansuri – the Indian bamboo flute), Ayurveda, mantra, meditation, and Vedic philosophy. Claire was a direct student of Pattabhi Jois and now continues to study with his grandson Sharath Jois. She practices Primary, Intermediate and Advanced A series Ashtanga Yoga asanas and has the blessing of the KPJAYI to teach both the Primary and full Intermediate Series. While in Mysore, Claire has also been an apprentice to Sharath with both his morning Western classes and his afternoon Indian classes. In addition to her Ashtanga yoga studies, Claire has spent many years under the direct guidance of Swami Niranjanananda and his teachers learning Bhakti yoga (Yoga from the heart).

As well as teaching Mysore-style Ashtanga guided self-practice, led classes and workshops, Claire also leads guest workshops and retreats at studios throughout Europe, India, and Australia. Her approach to sharing yoga asana (from beginners to more seasoned practitioners), is one that contains a balance of both strength and gentleness. She has a deep awareness of the biological function of the asana (yoga postures) and at the same time she can relate the physical to the emotional, mental, and devotional elements of this rich yoga practice.

Claire is Australian born, and established the Ashtanga Yoga Shala Provence in the south of France in 2012 where she teaches in both French and English to a mix of local students and international visitors.
She balances her passion for Ashtanga Yoga to being a mum to her young daughter Ananda. Claire holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations, a master’s degree in Linguistics from the University of Sydney, Australia, and a Post Graduate qualification in English Language Teaching from Cambridge University, England. She also worked for over a decade as a University Professor. With such a solid foundation as an adult educator, Claire excels at meeting her students (of both yoga and linguistics) at where they are and extending them comfortably beyond where they can take themselves.

While at Ulpotha, Claire will be teaching a morning asana class (ashtanga based – but open to all levels of students – from complete beginners to more seasoned practitioners. Claire will guide each student individually according to their unique level and needs). Afternoon sessions will be dedicated to rest, relaxation and rejuvenation with a mix of pranayama (breathing techniques), sound healing (Sanskrit singing and bansuri playing), philosophy discussions and storytelling from the great epics of the Mahabharat and the Ramayana and their relevance to a modern, western lifestyle.

Originally from Canada, Malaika is now based in Bali from where she travels the world to teach and dance. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience both on and off the mat to inspire those on the path of self-transformation.

In this special retreat we will practice daily yoga moving with the Elements and, on every other afternoon, we will use free ecstatic dance practices to embody the philosophy of yoga in a free and dynamic way. Using great world music to support you to let go and find your own groove. You will be amazed by how much this supports your yoga practice and deepens your ability to meditate.

Malaika incorporates her work as a dancer, Spiritual Healer, and more than 12 years as a bodyworker to help her students find flow, grace and healing to injuries. She fully embodies the deeper philosophy of yoga as a marriage between mind, body and spirit and teaches both in the yoga shala and in natural environments.

She brings a wealth of earth wisdom for personal and planetary awakening having walked the shamanic path for a lifetime. She is dedicated to creating sacred space in ritual and ceremony to help restore balance to our distorted civilized culture. A qualified ISHTA yoga teacher, Water Dance practitioner, African dance performer and teacher, creatrix of 5Elements Dance Activation™ a shamanic dynamic meditation dance journey embodying the five cardinal elements, earth water fire air and spirit. She is also the founder of Journey to the Heart, and Elemental Embodiment™, 5-day transformational retreats for men and women. She has been facilitating groups for more than 25 years in India, Australia, Africa, China, USA, Costa Rica, Europe and Egypt. She offers a spirituality that is rooted in the body to access higher realms of consciousness.  She is currently teaching Elemental Yoga and Yin Yoga at the Barn in Bali.

In Ulpotha, Malaika will be offering her Elemental ISHTA (Integrated Science of Hatha, Tantra, and Ayurveda) Yoga classes which provide a blend of ancient and contemporary teachings to cater to your individual needs. Focusing on flow, alignment, body awareness and expansion to cultivate grace, she will encourage you to respect and listen to your own body using a holistic approach to yoga as a way of being.

What to expect:

• Pranayama and visualization to purify and quiet the mind

• Daily yoga and asana to stretch, strengthen and balance the body (firstly Hatha flow yoga based on the elements and, in the second week, focussing on the connection of Yoga to the Chakra system)

• Daily dance to reconnect mind, body and spirit and celebrate the gift of life using 5Elements Dance Activation™ and Ecstatic Dance

• Meditation to expand your awareness and cultivate loving compassion for yourself and others

Her teachings are suitable for beginners and intermediate levels and dance is a crucial part of this workshop.

Alex is one of France’s most loved and respected yoga instructors and a life-long student of Iyengar Yoga.

For the last 30 years, Alex’s passion has been to master the teachings of BKS Iyengar under the guidance of Faeq Biria in Paris. It was Faiq and Corine Biria who first encouraged and inspired him to begin teaching 18 years ago.

Alex since grew a large following in a some of Paris’ top yoga studios, in addition to teaching privately and in the business sector. He was a regular assistant to Iyengar instructor Corine Biria during her therapeutic classes at the Iyengar Centre in Paris. He now only teaches privately.

His profound knowledge and advanced practice of yoga (asana and pranayama), coupled with a precise yet relaxed teaching style, have led him to become a favourite amongst all levels of students — from beginners to the more advanced.

Expect morning classes to be detailed asana practice and evening classes to be more restorative. The first week of this retreat will cover foundation practices and lead to more advanced work during week two.

Gingi founded the Shala in London as a dedicated ashtanga yoga centre in 1998. He has been teaching yoga for over 20 years and is one of the UK's most established ashtanga yoga teachers.

Gingi began studying and teaching martial arts in the 1980s with his father, Sensei Richard Taibong Lee. During an early trip to India, Gingi came into contact with yoga and spent many years returning to India to study and devote himself to the discipline. For two years he apprenticed with the late Derek Ireland, completing a final training course in Goa. He then went to Mysore to continue his studies with Sri Pattabhi Jois and then completed a two-year teacher training course with Graeme Northfield of Australia.

Gingi has hosted many yoga holidays and workshops in the UK and abroad, including combined retreats with John and Lucy Scott, and Kristina Ireland. He continues to run regular workshops and retreats, which often include elements of pranayama, meditation and tai chi. He is a well-respected teacher who has remained at the forefront of the ashtanga yoga community. He has taught, trained and inspired many British ashtanga yoga teachers and has played a key role in popularizing ashtanga yoga in the UK. His teaching is characterised by sensitivity, warmth and a deep commitment to the practice.

San Diego native Lisa Garratt teaches and does bodywork in Santa Cruz and throughout the Bay Area in California, USA.

Lisa’s first experience of yoga was in early childhood, and as such, she does not recall much from those classes except smiling and just feeling really happy in them. Later on in adolescence, yoga taught her how using her breath she could dissolve the pains of cramping while running. In her early adulthood, she recognized its benefits in helping with insomnia, headaches, and an improved feeling of a balanced state of health and wellness when added to her exercise regime.

When Lisa fully immersed herself in training to be a yoga instructor in 2001, she learned that this was just the tip of the iceberg of the myriad of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits of yoga. Her training and background is eclectic with a strong emphasis on Iyengar (alignment) and Vinyasa (flow) yoga. Additionally, her approach is influenced by her studies of meditation, massage, Pilates, and personal training. She believes the practice of yoga and mindfulness can help people to be more comfortable in their own skin, more aware of what is going on within themselves, in addition to helping them to be stronger, more mobile, and more focused in their specific intentions in this world.

Lisa’s classes emphasize mindfulness, and depending on the time of day and needs of the students, will incorporate flowing postures, static postures, and detailed alignment instructions. Her classes are suitable for all levels and alternatives and modifications will be given as needed. Students will be encouraged to listen to their bodies and to adjust their practice based on experience, injuries, energy levels, and psychological needs. The morning class at Ulpotha will be more dynamic while the afternoon class will be a playful mix of restorative yoga, pranayama and meditation.

Jovinna Chan, E-RYT 500, leads transformational programs around the world in the art and science of being fully alive through Conscious Dance, Yoga, and Meditation.  Born and raised in a village in Singapore, she infuses her life and work with a sense of reverence and awe that she learned from the temples and forests that surrounded her home.

Jovinna spent eleven years in New York City as a Performing Artist and six years in studying Shotakan Karate. She has served as the Assistant Dean, and teacher trainer for the Kripalu School of Yoga in Massachusetts USA.  Currently, she is a faculty member of Pranotthan School of Yoga and the co-director of the year-long Acharya Intensive program.  In recent years, Jovinna co-founded Shakti Initiation Yoga Leadership School and A Wild Life Sanctuary™.  She is a certified Soul Motion™ and LetYourYogaDance Teacher.

A well-respected teacher of yoga, conscious dance, and self-expression, Jovinna radiates a contagious quality of aliveness – in both movement and stillness – that students find liberating. In the many workshops and trainings she leads worldwide, she creates sacred space for deep joy and transformational experiences.  www.Jovinna.com

During this retreat Jovinna will lead daily Hatha yoga classes with meditation and yogic philosophy.

She invites you to come reconnect with your body, reduce the chatter of the mind, relax and rejuvenate your whole being while creating space for the flow of aliveness in you!