Instagram story viewer> @michaelzunini_> Posts

Michael Zunini |Yoga teacher| Mentor|UGC

@michaelzunini_

110.2K

followers

4586

following

Yoga teacher & guide
30+years of practice and teaching
Retreats • TTC Trainings • Personal guidance
Explore here ↓
@boilerroom.phangan

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Some places are too special to name.

Hidden within this island is a quiet, beautiful spot where I feel deeply connected to the energy around me. I come here to practice, listen, and remember.

The body is an incredible instrument,like an antenna, becoming more receptive when we care for it, quiet the mind, and bring our attention inward. In my spiritual practice, the pineal gland represents that inner vision: the ability to sense possibility, find clarity, and turn intention into action.

I don’t believe we need to force the universe to give us answers. We can become still enough to hear what is already here,and disciplined enough to bring our intentions to life.

Some places are best felt, not shared. 🌿 by @michaelzunini_

193

3

12 days ago

MASTER OF LIFE

Not a perfect life.
Not a life under total control.
Not a system for the sake of a system.

A vibrant, strong, and fulfilling life.

Seeing reality.
Not lying to oneself.
Knowing where you stand.
Taking care of your body and energy.
Bringing order to things.
Building a solid foundation.
Doing what matters.
Loving without controlling.
Helping without playing the rescuer.
Respecting yourself and the freedom of others.
Recognizing the consequences of your actions.
Making mistakes, adjusting, and moving forward.
Being grateful for what is.
Creating good for yourself, your family, others, and the world.
A master of life is not someone whose life is perfect.
A master of life is someone who knows how to live with reality and regain their balance when life changes.

SELF:SYSTEM by ELENA SHOKOREVA

МАСТЕР ЖИЗНИ

Не идеальная жизнь.
Не жизнь под полным контролем.
Не система ради системы.

Живая, сильная, достаточная жизнь.

Видеть реальность.
Не врать себе.
Знать свои координаты.
Беречь тело и силы.
Наводить порядок.
Создавать материальную опору.
Делать важное.
Любить без контроля.
Помогать без спасательства.
Уважать себя и свободу другого.
Замечать последствия своих действий.
Ошибаться, корректироваться и продолжать.
Быть благодарными за то, что есть.
Создавать хорошее для себя, семьи, людей и мира.
Мастер жизни не тот, у кого всё идеально.
Мастер жизни тот, кто умеет жить с реальностью и снова находить свой баланс, когда жизнь меняется.

SELF:SYSTEM by ELENA SHOKOREVA taken in Koh Phagnan by @michaelzunini_

63

7

a month ago

Practice is not performance.

In the heat of the sauna, through Kapalabhati, Uddiyana Bandha, utpluthi, breath, sound, and repetition, there comes a moment when the mind begins to ask for an end. That moment is often where practice truly begins.

The distinction is not that a master never feels fatigue, pain, fear, or resistance. It is that a master does not allow the first discomfort to make the decision. The student stops when he is tired. The practitioner stops when the work is complete—when body, breath, technique, and awareness have reached their proper measure.

After ten thousand repetitions, discipline reveals itself not as violence toward the self, but as respect: for the process, for the teacher, for the body, and for the life one has chosen to build.

Yet discernment is essential. Pain that signals injury must be heeded. The discomfort of effort, boredom, heat, ego, and resistance is something else. We do not flee from it. We study it.

Some believe that six years of practice are enough to understand yoga. Six years may be a beautiful beginning, but transformation demands decades: daily practice, humility, failure, renewal, and the willingness to continue when no one is watching. Many train for a few months, feel strong for a moment, and disappear as soon as life becomes difficult. That is why so few develop true steadiness, depth, and the subtler fruits of practice.

Worse still, a few years of practice can produce the arrogance to instruct a teacher on how he should live. You are free not to understand my life. You are free to disagree with my choices. But do not mistake a limited view of another person’s life for knowledge of his path.

If you believe you know better, then learn for real. Train. Remain humble. Practice through every season, not only beneath a clear sky. Do not claim to love the rain if you want only its clean and beautiful parts. Rain is not proven by the applause of those standing safely beneath a roof. It is proven when the ground softens, the feet lose their certainty, and every step becomes more difficult.

To praise the rain is to accept the mud. taken in The Healthlab - Koh Phangan by @michaelzunini_

2k

39

a month ago

Never be afraid of start from O , When I started lifting weights (9 years old ), I genuinely thought I was Conan the Barbarian. Then I went to my first jiu-jitsu class and quickly realised that strength alone does not make you dangerous, capable, or complete. So I humbled myself, started from zero, competed, and eventually won three gold medals at the World Championship. I went there alone, with no big team around me,just to do what I had trained for.

Then yoga gave me the same lesson. I was strong, but stiff; powerful, but not aware of my breath, my mind, or the subtle side of myself. So I went deeper. I lived simply, , and immersed myself in the old yogic traditions of India,not because I had all the answers, but because I wanted to honestly ask the bigger questions: who are we, why are we here, and what does it mean to become a complete human being?

The ancient traditions may use different names, symbols, and stories, but many point toward the same direction: know yourself, discipline the body and mind, face your fear, and become more conscious. Real strength is not pretending to be strong. It is being humble enough to begin again from zero. by @michaelzunini_

220

4

a month ago

“To know and not to do is not yet to know.”
— Zen Saying

This quote reminds me of something I’ve learned over the years.

I never believed that reading alone could change my life.

Whether it was bodybuilding, martial arts, yoga, or anything else, I always practiced first. I trained. I made mistakes. I failed. I learned through experience. Books and teachers helped me understand what I was doing, but practice was always the real teacher.

In my experience, yoga isn’t about mastering difficult asanas. Asana is a tool to prepare the body, calm the nervous system, and make it possible to sit in stillness with ease.

A strong body comes from consistent training, good nutrition, quality sleep, and discipline. A peaceful mind comes from daily practice.

Knowledge can point the way.

“Knowledge can point the way. Only experience can make it part of who you are.” by @michaelzunini_

591

27

3 months ago

Over the years, I came to understand that a true teacher is not necessarily the one who can perform the most difficult postures.

Nor the one with the most followers.

Nor the one who sells the most courses.

Nor the one who speaks the most beautifully.

I’ve been fortunate to study with teachers from the Krishnamacharya lineage through Sharath Jois, John Scott, Richard Freeman, Tim Miller, , David Swenson, Matthew Sweeney, and many others.

Each of them taught me something valuable.

But some of the deepest lessons did not come from the postures.

They came from observing how they lived.

One of the greatest examples I witnessed was John Scott.

I had the privilege of living with him and seeing firsthand how, every single day, we practiced together at 4 a.m. After practice, he would teach his classes and then continue fulfilling all of his responsibilities as a father and husband.

To me, he was a real-life superhero.

His teacher was Derek Ireland, an icon in the Ashtanga world. I remember watching Derek’s videos and feeling deeply inspired to follow this path. Seeing him strong, radiant, and full of vitality—almost like a Greek god—left a lasting impression on me.

For me, these are examples of what a human being can become through dedication, discipline, and practice.

Another great example is Rolf Naujokat.

I He was small and very lean, yet incredibly powerful. At the same time, he was one of the most lovable, humble, and kind people I have ever known.

Despite his recognition, his students, and the success he achieved, he continued living exactly the same way.

Simple.

Humble.

Peaceful.

Without any need to prove anything.

With the same worn clothes, the same old motorcycle, and the same love for stray dogs.

That taught me something important:

Yoga is not about looking spiritual.

It is about being transformed.

That is why I always ask:

Who taught you?

Not because a famous name guarantees truth.

But because transmission matters.

And because, ultimately, the best measure of a teaching is not what a person says.

It is who they have become after decades of practice. taken in Boiler Room Phangan by @michaelzunini_

211

14

4 months ago

What if the next step in your yoga journey isn’t another class...
but a deeper immersion?
A space to practice consistently, receive guidance, ask questions, and reconnect with your practice.
Comment INFO if you’d like to learn more about our Intensive Program.#kohphangan #thailand #vinyasakrama #intensive #discipline taken in Boiler Room Phangan by @michaelzunini_

135

30

4 months ago

Regular yoga classes are beautiful.

They help you stay connected, move your body.

And if you feel stuck, distracted, or like your practice is not going deeper anymore maybe you don’t need more motivation.

Maybe you need more immersion.

A yoga intensive gives you structure, rhythm, depth, and the environment to truly reconnect with your practice.

Comment “INTENSIVE” and I’ll send you my free checklist:
5 reasons why a yoga intensive can completely change your practice. taken in Boiler Room Phangan by @michaelzunini_

99

17

5 months ago

Why your yoga practice feels stuck?

Maybe it’s not because you’re not disciplined enough.
Sometimes you need a new level of attention, structure, and immersion.

Yoga changes when you stop practicing on autopilot.

Comment “INTENSIVE” and I’ll send you my free checklist:
5 reasons why a yoga intensive can change your practice. taken in Boiler Room Phangan by @michaelzunini_

124

11

5 months ago

There’s something powerful about getting older.

Not because life is ending…
but because illusion slowly begins to fall away.

The need to prove.
The need to chase.
The need to become someone for the world.

At some point, you stop asking:
“How do I impress people?”
…and start asking:
“How do I live truthfully?”

The breaking apart is not failure.
The confusion is not failure.
The silence is not failure.

It is transformation.

Like the caterpillar entering the cocoon,
life sometimes pulls us away from noise so we can remember who we are beneath the conditioning.

And maybe that’s why so many people awaken later in life.

Not because they are behind…
but because wisdom takes time.

Some souls bloom at 20.
Some at 40.
Some at 60.

There is no clock for becoming yourself.

The real flex is not youth.
It’s peace.
It’s clarity.
It’s authenticity.
It’s presence.
It’s the ability to sit still with yourself without needing distraction.

You are not late.

You are becoming.

✨🦋

#Stillness
#Transformation
#HealingJourney
#InnerPeace by @michaelzunini_

539

26

5 months ago

Now choose only 3 👇 Discipline → showing up yourself every day.

Philosophy → seeing life from a deeper perspective.

Inner peace → feeling less chaos and more presence.

Strong body → creating a foundation that supports you.

Flexibility → learning to soften instead of forcing.
#thailand #kohphangan #vinyasakrama #yoga taken in Boiler Room Phangan by @michaelzunini_

84

4

5 months ago

Oh my god, this place… 🌿
It charged my soul.
I felt so happy, so grateful, so full.
There is something so deeply healing about time in nature
the sounds of the jungle, the warmth of the Thai sea…
This is exactly why I chose to call Ko Phangan home and often visit @whynambeach ✨
Some places don’t just host you.
They transform you. 🤍 #thailand #kophangan #Whynam #naturetherapy #ecoresort taken in Why Nam Beach by @michaelzunini_

101

4

5 months ago