Guest teachers in Batumi: who visited in 2025–2026
DIGEST
Visiting yoga teachers, therapists, musicians and spiritual teachers who held workshops and retreats in and around Batumi
About this list
This page lists visiting teachers who held workshops, retreats, sound healing sessions and lectures in Batumi and nearby towns in 2025 and 2026. If you are looking for regular classes with local instructors, see our guide to yoga in Batumi and our venue guide.
We compiled this record from event announcements published in the Om Batumi Telegram channel, which has posted daily updates since 2022 and contains over 4,000 posts. The page was last updated in November 2026. All dates and programs come directly from the original announcements; if an event was later rescheduled or cancelled, the channel may not have reported it. Most events were announced in Russian, and we note explicitly where sessions were held in English.
We compiled this record from event announcements published in the Om Batumi Telegram channel, which has posted daily updates since 2022 and contains over 4,000 posts. The page was last updated in November 2026. All dates and programs come directly from the original announcements; if an event was later rescheduled or cancelled, the channel may not have reported it. Most events were announced in Russian, and we note explicitly where sessions were held in English.
Yoga
Visiting yoga teachers held multi-day intensives and single masterclasses in Batumi in 2025 and 2026.
Suryans Sunil Thakur — yoga teacher from Rishikesh, India
Suryans Sunil Thakur is a yoga teacher born and raised in Rishikesh, India, where he founded the Om Yoga center. He has taught yoga since age 15 and leads seminars across Europe and Asia. According to the announcement, his spring 2025 visit was his second trip to Georgia. He led two four-day yoga seminars for all levels on March 28–31 and April 25–28, 2025. The announcements did not name the venue; booking was via Telegram.
Announcement (in Russian)
Announcement (in Russian)
Dolgan Zurgadaev — founder of the MYoga school
Dolgan Zurgadaev is the founder of the MYoga school, author of the book Diary of a Buddhist, and a teacher with around 20 years of experience who has received an award for his contribution to the development of yoga. He studied under Mingyur Rinpoche and Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. Invited by the Batumi yoga community, he visited on April 10–13, 2025 to lead morning and evening yoga classes, a talk titled Buddhism and the Modern World on April 11, and the Opening Yoga seminar on April 12.
Announcement (in Russian)
Announcement (in Russian)
Kati Shanti — yin and ashtanga yoga teacher from Tbilisi
Kati Shanti is a yin and ashtanga yoga teacher with 20 years of practice and the founder of Tbilisi Yoga Community. On May 15, 2026, she held a masterclass in Batumi at Mira Space titled Slowing Down as a Practice: A Deep Dive into Yin Yoga.
Announcement (in Russian)
Announcement (in Russian)
Maria Arifi — vinyasa yoga teacher from Sweden
Maria Arifi is a yoga teacher from Sweden with over 12 years of experience practicing and teaching mindful vinyasa. During her visit to Batumi on July 18, 2026, she taught a special Healing Vinyasa Flow class at Mesto Sily yoga studio. The class was held in English.
Announcement (bilingual)
Announcement (bilingual)
Psychology and psychotherapy
International therapists and psychologists visited Batumi to run group trainings, psychodrama workshops and systemic constellations.
Oded Nave — clinical psychologist and psychodrama trainer from Israel
Oded Nave is a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, and psychodrama trainer (TEP) who founded an institute in Israel and had been training therapists for 43 years as of the 2025 announcement. He led the workshop The Transgenerational Phenomenon in Batumi on April 18–20, 2025 (combining psychodrama, art therapy, and group dynamics) and Fear and Anxiety — Hidden Forces Controlling Life on April 24–26, 2026. The 2026 workshop was organized by psychodrama.ge, and its announcement noted that this was his fourth visit to Batumi and that participants traveled from Russia, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine for his workshops.
Announcement (in Russian)
Announcement (in Russian)
Claire Hill and Mark O'Connell — process-oriented psychology trainers from the UK
Claire Hill and Mark O'Connell are training therapists from the United Kingdom specializing in process-oriented psychology (process work). They held a five-day seminar titled Love and Loss in Batumi on June 10–14, 2026.
Announcement (in Russian)
Announcement (in Russian)
Yulia Khadartseva — psychologist and systemic constellations facilitator
Yulia Khadartseva is a psychologist with 15 years of experience, a blogger, and the creator of her own method of systemic constellations. According to the announcement, September 14, 2026 was the first time her constellations were held in Georgia. She held two sessions at the Radisson Blu Hotel Batumi: a meeting titled Business and Scale and a group constellations session.
Announcement (in Russian)
Announcement (in Russian)
Dance, movement and tai chi
Guest facilitators offered movement therapy retreats in the mountains near Batumi and tai chi classes on the coast.
Alexander Girshon — dance movement therapist from Portugal
Alexander Girshon, who came from Portugal, holds a PhD in psychology and is a dance movement therapist who founded integrative dance movement therapy and integral dance. On August 18–24, 2025, he led a residential retreat titled Creative & Authentic Movement Enquiry, featuring authentic movement, Contemplative Dance, and a meditation-movement-writing practice. The retreat took place at the Gomarduli Dao Space mountain center, located 2.5 hours from Batumi, with transfers organized from the city.
Announcement (in Russian)
Announcement (in Russian)
Gabriela — tai chi teacher from Argentina
Gabriela is a tai chi teacher from Argentina who came to the practice through martial arts and yoga. On August 30, 2026, she taught a tai chi class in the center of Makhinjauri, just outside Batumi, covering warm-ups, qigong and breathing, and tai chi forms. The session was held in English.
Announcement (in Russian)
Announcement (in Russian)
Sound, music and healing practices
Practitioners from Bali, Japan, Nepal and Australia visited Batumi for sound healing, acupuncture, energy work and kirtan.
Matthieu San — Balinese Jnana Kanda practice
Matthieu San is described in the announcement as a Balinese priest. He held three masterclasses titled Jnana Kanda — sacred energy healing from Bali — at Aura Space in Batumi on February 1, 8, and 15, 2026. According to the announcement, it was the first time this practice was offered in Batumi. The sessions were held in English, and the announcements were bilingual.
Announcement (bilingual)
Announcement (bilingual)
Saiko Oki — traditional Chinese medicine specialist from Japan
Saiko Oki is a specialist in traditional Chinese medicine from Japan practicing acupuncture and herbal medicine. On July 9, 2026, she held an acupuncture masterclass in Batumi alongside a celebration of the Japanese Tanabata festival and a sound healing session with Darius. She returned on July 22, 2026, for a Sound Healing and Acupuncture evening featuring Tibetan and crystal bowls, a gong, and optional acupuncture.
Announcement (in Russian)
Announcement (in Russian)
Aditya Magar — musician and sound healing practitioner from Kathmandu, Nepal
Aditya Magar is a musician and sound healing practitioner from Kathmandu, Nepal, who inherited his knowledge from his family lineage and studied further with Bon tradition masters. He plays singing bowls, gong, didgeridoo, handpan, shamanic drum, and tingsha. He held his Himalayan Sound Journey at Mira Space in Batumi on October 3, 2026; after places sold out in less than 24 hours, a second session was added on October 4, 2026.
Announcement (in Russian)
Announcement (in Russian)
Jai Nitai — kirtan performer from Australia
Jai Nitai came from Australia. On October 3, 2026, he was a special guest at a creative evening at Om Dom (78 Tbilisi Street) in Batumi, where he sang kirtan: mantras and verses in Sanskrit.
Announcement (in Russian)
Announcement (in Russian)
Spiritual teachers
Spiritual teachers from various traditions held satsangs, lectures and multi-day retreats in Batumi and Kobuleti.
Salvador Atma — spiritual teacher
Salvador Atma is a spiritual teacher, described in the announcement as an enlightened master. He held a satsang in Batumi on November 1, 2025, at the Chainaya Pochta tea house (2 Zurab Gorgiladze Street). This meeting took place the day before his retreat in Georgia on November 2–10, 2025, which included meditations, darshans, and satsangs.
Announcement (in Russian)
Announcement (in Russian)
Swami Vishnudevananda Giri Maharaj — spiritual teacher and author
Swami Vishnudevananda Giri Maharaj is a spiritual teacher in the lineage of Advaita Vedanta, Shaivism, and Anuttara Tantra, as well as a philosopher and author of more than 50 books (advayta.org). On January 4–11, 2026, he held the seminar The Mysterious Path of Shiva in Batumi and Kobuleti, with open satsangs on January 5–10. According to the announcement, it was his first seminar in Georgia. He also held satsangs in Kobuleti on July 27, 2026.
Announcement (in Russian)
Announcement (in Russian)
Swami Mahavir — monk in the Vaishnava tradition
Swami Mahavir is a monk in the Vaishnava tradition who builds ashrams and travels internationally. On February 11, 2026, he hosted a Vedic Talk Show titled Love is... at Om Dom in Batumi.
Announcement (in Russian)
Announcement (in Russian)
Other practices
Guest teachers also visited Batumi for tantra retreats and Chinese metaphysics meetings.
Satyarthi Pratik — tantra teacher from India
Satyarthi Pratik is a tantra teacher from India and the founder of the Nectar school. On June 8–15, 2025, he led a Tantra and Kashmiri Massage retreat in Batumi for both couples and solo participants, covering active meditations, tantric practices, and Kashmiri massage.
Announcement (in Russian)
Announcement (in Russian)
Irina Agapishvili — Chinese metaphysics practitioner
Irina Agapishvili is a specialist in Chinese metaphysics (BaZi, Feng Shui, Qi Men) with the website fengshui.org.ge. Visiting Batumi for the first time according to the announcement, she held two meetings alongside a tea ceremony by Anna Vartanova: Activation of the Money Star on September 12, 2025, and Walks for Luck on September 15, 2025.
Announcement (in Russian)
Announcement (in Russian)
FAQ
How can I find out about upcoming guest teachers and workshops in Batumi? We publish daily event announcements in the Om Batumi Telegram channel. The channel has been running since 2022 and has over 4,000 posts covering yoga workshops, sound healing, retreats, and lectures.
Where do yoga workshops and healing events usually take place in Batumi? Guest workshops have taken place at local studios and community spaces such as Mira Space, Aura Space, Mesto Sily yoga studio, Om Dom (78 Tbilisi Street), and the Chainaya Pochta tea house (2 Zurab Gorgiladze Street). Larger seminars and retreats also take place at hotels like the Radisson Blu Hotel Batumi or in nearby towns and mountain centers such as Makhinjauri, Kobuleti, and Gomarduli Dao Space. You can read more in our venue guide, or browse regular local teachers on our yoga in Batumi page.
Are workshops in Batumi held in English? Sometimes. Most announcements in our channel are in Russian. However, international guest teachers — such as Maria Arifi, Gabriela, and Matthieu San in 2026 — taught their sessions in English. Check the individual announcement in the Telegram channel for language details before booking.
How can I tell you about a visiting teacher or submit an event? If you are organizing a workshop or inviting a guest teacher to Batumi, please contact us on Telegram to share the announcement with the Om Batumi team.
Why is this list of visiting teachers incomplete? This list only includes visits that were announced in the Om Batumi Telegram channel during 2025 and 2026. In addition, all dates and details are taken directly from advance announcements; if a workshop was later cancelled or rescheduled, the channel may not have published an update.
Where do yoga workshops and healing events usually take place in Batumi? Guest workshops have taken place at local studios and community spaces such as Mira Space, Aura Space, Mesto Sily yoga studio, Om Dom (78 Tbilisi Street), and the Chainaya Pochta tea house (2 Zurab Gorgiladze Street). Larger seminars and retreats also take place at hotels like the Radisson Blu Hotel Batumi or in nearby towns and mountain centers such as Makhinjauri, Kobuleti, and Gomarduli Dao Space. You can read more in our venue guide, or browse regular local teachers on our yoga in Batumi page.
Are workshops in Batumi held in English? Sometimes. Most announcements in our channel are in Russian. However, international guest teachers — such as Maria Arifi, Gabriela, and Matthieu San in 2026 — taught their sessions in English. Check the individual announcement in the Telegram channel for language details before booking.
How can I tell you about a visiting teacher or submit an event? If you are organizing a workshop or inviting a guest teacher to Batumi, please contact us on Telegram to share the announcement with the Om Batumi team.
Why is this list of visiting teachers incomplete? This list only includes visits that were announced in the Om Batumi Telegram channel during 2025 and 2026. In addition, all dates and details are taken directly from advance announcements; if a workshop was later cancelled or rescheduled, the channel may not have published an update.