Category: Events

Since Monday, September 21, a new season of morning qigong classes has been running in Burgas. We practice in our favorite hall at the Amrita Center (Bratya Miladinovi district, 145), as usual on Mondays and Fridays at 8 a.m.

Qigong is especially well suited to mature adults who want to take good care of their health. This season we are learning qigong sets for back pain, correcting posture and learning to breathe properly. We also practice meditation in motion and at rest.

The first class is free. Come to see, try it and ask questions. If you like it, stay with us.

Sign up: a short form.

What qigong is and where to start is explained on the Basic Techniques of Yoga and Qigong page. Who leads the classes: Anatoly Yasinsky.

Join us for a weekend in the Eastern Rhodopes. From October 16 to 18, 2026, we are holding a yoga and qigong retreat in Madzharovo, Bulgaria. The town sits in the crater of an ancient volcano, the Arda River winds through the valley in its famous meanders, and griffon vultures circle above the house.

Where we stay

We stay at Staroto Gnezdo (“The Old Nest”), a two-hundred-year-old house with a yard of about one acre. There are outdoor spots for practice, a separate hall in case the weather turns cool, and a place for a big bonfire. The house is rated 9.6 on Booking.

The program

Four sessions over two days: two of qigong and two of yoga therapy. We work gently with the back and posture, breathe, and learn to meditate. No acrobatics: everything is manageable, suitable for any age and for complete beginners.

On Saturday we go on a long walk to the Pyramid and the Cross hills, a seven-kilometer loop starting right from the house. If you are not up for the climb, you can take a shorter route with a guide and come back earlier. In the evening we will walk up to the Tower to watch the sunset or sit by the fire.

Who leads it

I teach the qigong sessions. I am Anatoly Yasinsky, a physicist by my first degree and an instructor-methodologist in adaptive physical education, yoga therapist and qigong teacher by my second. I have been studying Eastern practices for more than 25 years and approach them with the scientific method. I recently wrote and published the book “Yoga vs Qigong: Basic Techniques”.

My wife, Anastasia Yasinskaya, will give a talk on nutrition and lead yoga sessions for the spine (yoga therapy). She holds a PhD in medical sciences and is a nutritionist, so there will be someone to answer your health questions.

Cost and how to join

Money matters are simple, with no prepayment. You book your room yourself on Booking, pay for meals on site to the host, and pay us 100 euros per person for the sessions and organization, also on site.

There are still free rooms in the house. If you would like to come, book right away, they go fast.

The full hour-by-hour program and the Booking link are in the Facebook event. Ask your questions there in the comments or write to us through the contact page.

On Wednesdays I teach qigong in the park instead of a studio. We meet in the Sea Garden (Morska Gradina in Bulgarian), on the grassy lawn to the left of the Summer Theater. We start at 8:00 a.m. and finish at 9:00. No experience needed: both longtime practitioners and complete beginners come along.

Why the morning, and why outdoors

Practicing in the park feels completely different from practicing indoors. Sea air, birds in the trees, a light morning chill that wakes the body up faster than coffee. An hour of calm movement at the start of the day helps get your circulation going after sleep, loosen up the joints and clear your head before the day’s business piles up. Natural morning light also helps the body fully wake up and keep a steady daily rhythm.

Slow doesn’t mean easy

Many people assume that if the movements are smooth and unhurried, there’s hardly any effort involved. It’s actually the opposite. In slow movement, momentum doesn’t help you, so every phase has to be held and controlled. Your weight flows gradually from one leg to the other, while the legs, core, back and shoulders all work at once. The grass underfoot is uneven, which adds an extra balance challenge: the feet and ankles keep adjusting the whole time.

After a few weeks of regular practice, coordination usually improves, stiffness fades and the body starts moving noticeably more freely. If you’d like to get a sense of what the practice is made of beforehand, take a look at basic yoga and qigong techniques.

In winter and bad weather

When it’s cold, raining or a strong wind is blowing in from the sea, we move indoors. At Tsentar Amrita (Bratya Miladinovi district, 145), classes take place on Mondays and Fridays. For the current season’s exact schedule and sign-up, see the qigong classes in Burgas page.

All you need to bring is comfortable clothing for the weather and a bottle of water. Regulars and newcomers are equally welcome.