Health Update: Modern Wellness in the Algarve – What Experts Say

I recently came across Michelle Johns, a Kundalini yoga and meditation guide based in the Algarve. Photos of her floating sound healing therapy immediately caught my attention. Lying on the inflatable bed in the pool on a sunny day, listening to sound healing, feels like an ideal morning!

From Beauty Industry to Inner Balance

Michelle is originally from London and spent many years working as a beautician, running her own beauty salon. Due to circumstances and a busy family life, she began searching for ways to slow down and restore emotional balance. After years in the beauty industry, focused on physical beauty, Michelle felt a growing need to care for her inner world, because true beauty comes from within.

As she explains, everyone needs to find what works for them, and for her, Kundalini yoga was a game-changer.

Why Kundalini Yoga Changed Everything

After attending her first yoga class, she felt deeply relaxed, and unlike with other practices she had tried, this feeling lasted for several days. While there are many types of yoga, Kundalini yoga resonates most with Michelle.

The practice combines breathing techniques, movement, and meditation and offers numerous physical and mental benefits. It supports the endocrine system, which regulates hormone health, and centres the mind. “I can say from my own experience, before I became an instructor, Kundalini yoga has changed my life.” Michelle says, “It revitalised my nervous system and helped me to create my own path to emotional stability.”

You may have found yourself chanting Sat Nam during yoga, but you aren’t alone if you don’t understand what, exactly, it means. One of the most common chants in Kundalini yoga is believed to hold transformative powers. In the ancient Sikh language Gurmukhi, Sat means “truth,” and Nam means “name.” Together, they translate into something deeper: “I am truth,” or “Truth is my essence.” Chanting Sat Nam is believed to help you connect with your inner state and share it with the world.

Chanted mantras have been used for centuries as a meditative practice. The act focuses your attention on the sound of your voice, regulates your breathing, and, as recent research indicates, can help you relax your mind and body. Each person carries a unique vibration, and sharing it is part of what makes the universe whole.

Life in the Algarve: A Holistic Lifestyle

Michelle is a lover of both beauty and spirituality, and this is the lifestyle she decided to pursue when she moved to the Algarve eight years ago. She keeps her work personal and intimate, hosting sessions at her home. She has a specially designed glass pavilion built for these purposes.

Sound Healing and the Power of Breath

Michelle offers a wide range of transformative and spiritual sessions. I had the chance to experience her sound healing therapy myself, and it was exactly what I needed, deeply relaxing and grounding. Michelle is also highly skilled in breathing techniques and can clearly explain how breathing supports the body in different situations.

“Left-nostril breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system and has a calming and relaxing effect.” Michelle explains, “When you feel stressed, sit comfortably, close your right nostril with your thumb, and breathe slowly in and out for about three minutes. You will feel an immediate relief.”

This is also a pre-sleep breathing technique: lie down and breathe slowly through the left nostril. Breathing through the right nostril, however, increases alertness and focus. “It activates the sympathetic nervous system and boosts energy and motivation. This breathing technique is great to do in the morning, before work, or when you feel low on energy.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5lU7uB8Vj4

Nordic Walking: A Full-Body Practice

Another activity Michelle practises is Nordic walking – this form of walking engages the entire body, including the core and upper body, and helps improve posture. “This is an enhanced walking with poles to work your upper body as well as legs, which is a big difference compared to usual walking, when you normally don’t use your arms.” As Michelle explained to me, Nordic walking can be enjoyed at many levels, low, medium, or high intensity. It’s a great activity if you haven’t exercised in a while and want to get back on track.

Personalised Retreats and Offerings

Michelle also creates personalised retreats for her clients, based on their specific needs. Whether you are looking for a more active retreat, to practise yoga, or simply to relax and meditate, Michelle offers a wide range of certified practices. She also provides accommodation in a beautiful 3-bedroom house in the central Algarve, with spectacular views of the Arade River.

Connect with Michelle

Michelle stays connected with her students via social media, where she regularly shares the monthly schedule and updates. You can follow her on Instagram or Facebook under the name Michelle Johns.