3 Yoga Poses That Will Make You Feel REALLY Good

Whether your favourite pose is savasana or something a little more energetic, there’s no doubt that time on the mat makes you feel good. You stretch, you breathe, you tone … best of all, though, it’s time that you’re not checking your emails.

For many, yoga is an oasis of sorts. A desert island with no phone reception or kids asking what’s for dinner. But what about those days when you can’t make class? To get the down-low, we checked in with Andrew Hampson - yogi, yoga teacher and one half of Bad Yogi retreats.

Hampson has taught Charlize Theron, Toby Maguire, Megan Gale and Lara Bingle and, these days, you’ll find him at Sydney’s Body Mind Life. His Bad Yogi philosophy is less about should-do’s, more about the want-to-do's, more about asking, 'what does your body crave for maximum vitality?'

“We talk about being more pragmatic rather than dogmatic,” explains Hampson of the Bad Yogi philosophy. “Sometimes people think that yoga has to be super serious, that you have to be vegan and alcohol free.”

Life though, he tells us, isn’t that black and white. There’s deadlines and pressure and those obligations the no-way-to-escape caveats. Also: celebrations and the occasional Tuesday night wine.

“Everything you do should be in moderation, in balance,” he tells us.

“I’ve been on a retreats where on Day One it’s a strict conversation around the way the retreat needs to be and there is 'no this', 'no that' … I wanted to create an Australian retreat I would like to go and practise on." By way of enticement, they chose Lord Howe Island with its sandy beaches, subtropical forests and crystal clear waters about 600km east of Port Macquarie and only a two-hour flight from Sydney. "Sure, we’re serious about yoga, serious about meditation, but we’re also serious about making this a good time.”

He adds: “We love meditation, we love yoga, and yes, we enjoy a wine.”