– part of Sadhana Yoga Ltd –
Start with No. 8 wire and bolt cutters. Make around 50 circles, binding wire together with fine galvanised wire.
Nail the wire circles to a frame with staples… or not… a geodome might not need wood structures. This one did.
Keep making circles until you have made a dome.
Makes a great growing frame!
I worked over the weekend to put in a scented herb meditation garden so that people could come and sit quietly with their thoughts.
Also tried my hand at casting a concrete entry way from the street to the Yoga Centre.
Next, organic soil, more herbs, hand-made concrete tiles will be put in place. All driven by shakti power!
The wire circles allow shapes for the climbing passionfruit to grow. They also provide a chance for us to see things in different ways.
Lots of amazing people have donated scented herbs and medicinal plants for the garden, making it a community project.
The next stage will be to concrete and mosaic the area inside the seated area.
The No. 8 wire circles keep growing and growing. Who would have known the scented meditation garden was going to be surrounded by a geodome!
On hot days we’ve being doing yoga in the local park. Why not join us? Meet up at the NZ Yoga Centre, Marton and the park is only a few minutes walk away. So breathtaking!
NZ YOGA CENTRE – I love combining art, sacred objects, and memorabilia to create new places for stillness and meditation. My latest installation shrine is titled, ‘virgin in an apple crate.’ The message behind the shrine reminds us to revere and collect fresh drinking water. Many of the objects used in this shrine were given to me by my Wellington friends and yoga students over the years – Ali –
Another place I spend a lot of time contemplating is the Peace Garden in the NZ Yoga Centre grounds. New students here in Marton – such as Tracee and Marilyn – have contributed recycled totara and wood crates to help make the garden come to life. People are always commenting how the garden makes them feel so peaceful and happy.
The main shrine at the NZ Yoga Centre used to reside in the studio space at Sadhana Yoga – Miramar. Lots of people got to see and enjoy the love and peace emanating from the wish-fulfilling shrine. Having a shrine is not about following a religion, of believing in a specific faith. A shrine is a place when one’s personal spirituality finds a platform for expression.
The notion of Ishvara–pranidhana means to show devotion or dedicate ones life to a force greater than oneself.
Do you long for a good night’s sleep? Do you ever lay away fretting you can’t drop off? Do you suffer from insomnia more often than you would like?
Email: nzyogacentre@gmail.com Phone: (06) 327 4108 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NZYogaCentre/
The pictures, podcast and poems below illustrate the wonderful narrative of living, dying and expressions of grief.
These images will be turned into cards and posters that can be ordered and purchased from Ali at the NZ Yoga Centre. Any profits from the sale of these images will go to creating our yoga centre ‘Peace Garden’ in Marton, Rangitikei. (These images are subject to copywrite.)
For more information email Ali at nzyogacentre@gmail.com
Funeral Day
Grief sat beneath the heart’s tree,
Mourning what was lost.
Tears welled up and formed a pool.
The pool spilled over into a stream,
The stream rushed out and merged with the great sea of emotions.
When those first tears reached the foaming tide,
Sea birds took flight, startled by the tears’ crystal intensity,
Moved by such gravity, repelled by the presence of unfathomable grace.
Rising to the surface, gentle fish carried each tear down to the ocean depths,
Seeding pearls of courage, compassion, and undying love.
The pearl mala I hold before you has been harvested from those raw emotions,
Shining now with the quiet beauty of liberated peace.
Each image is part of a narrative… the cock and bull, the honeybee and jay…
The king eagle represents my father’s death and his rising spirit. The image is borrowed from a poem that Dad wrote some years ago (see below). 30 years ago, Dad sustained a terrible injury from a fall 15 meters from a roof, which left him permanently blind and head injured. But, he still managed to lead a full life, and maintain incredible inner vision, as the poem below illustrates.
Dream River
A special kind of magic happened on that river run,
When Me-bunn-bia and Headway joined together, for some fun.
We were all shapes and sizes, but we didn’t give a damn
“‘Cause once we got our bums on seats,” it all fell into plan.
We paddled down the river in our Indian canoes,
It all seemed so instinctive,
We knew just what to do.
The scenery was fantastic, with its browns and greens and blue,
The hills rose up quite sharply and disappeared from view.
We rafted up the second day, where old gum trees had formed a bay,
Above us in a leafy glade, was dappled light and filtered shade.
There, a pretty kingfisher sat; just waiting for a silver sprat.
Along the banks were water fowl
And in the trees, a frog-mouthed owl.
Truly, this was nature at its best, where we had paused to take a rest.
Soon we were paddling on down the stream,
It seemed to me, to be a dream.
I raised my eyes up to the sky
That’s when I heard the eagles cry…
Free-ee, free-ee
They called to me
Then I thought in Aborigine…Mee-bun-bia (where eagles fly)
Where eagles fly, then why can’t I?
I bent my head, and said a prayer,
My body felt as light as air.
A rushing gust of wind swept by, it sucked me up into the sky,
Up above the world so high,
Like an eagle in the sky, and there was I; and I could fly!
I cried “Mee-bunn-bia, the air is clear” ; Mee-bunn-bia, I have no fear!”
I cried out “free-ee!!…” and spread my wings in ecstacy.
I wheeled and reeled and heeled and squealed;
“Free-ee, free-ee, now I can see!!”
If I can see then , so can you
And now I will tell you what to do;
You don’t give up, you don’t give in!
Keep on smiling – wear a grin.
Take a deep breath….say a prayer, before you know it,
You’ll be there.
Yes, a special kind of magic happened on that river run,
When Mee-bun-bia and Headway joined together for some fun.
Next time we pack-n-paddle, we will plan and we will prepare;
And you can tell’em down the Murray; you can tell-em we’ll be there.
By John Tilley
If you would like to invest in our ‘Peace Garden’ please consider placing an order for a pack of greeting cards or posters. Contact Ali for more info on postage and printing costs.
We stayed overnight at the peaceful Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh and explored the stalls and shops along the back streets of Ram Jula
Yoga on the beach in the morning went from down dog to a pack of dogs … in a fun way.
The mountain views up towards the Kali Cave, behind Neelkund are tranquil and inspiring in their simplicity.
The overnight train journeys to and from Kashi (Varanasi) were very taxing for many of our group members … but Max seemed to relax and go with the flow
Kashi is a magic city on the banks of the Ganga. You can find great street art everywhere!
One of the many high lights was breakfast on the roof after yoga and drinking amazing lassi!
We enjoyed a boat trip along the river and Kim took a short horse ride.
We spent a few hours relaxing in the tranquil setting of the Vajravidya Institute in Sarnath, a famous Buddhist enclave.
India is a deeply religious place and if you overlook the spiritual significance of its diverse cultures then you are likely to miss the vibrant essence of the day to day rituals
So far the trip has been wonderful and members of the group have really bonded!
Delhi was hectic as usual, with plenty of weddings to liven up the streets!
We have visited Maya Devi Mandir and have walked up to Mansa Devi Mandir.
I danced along with bhaki devotees at Haki puri Ghat, Hardiwar
Rather than travelling around like VIP’s we have travelled by autorickshaw and have taken in many of the local sights.
Rishikesh is always popular with group members and we will stay overnight here at the Parmath Niketan ashram
India is a wonderful place to exlore the fact that we are all unique expressions of the cosmic flow. The trick is where you look to find inspiration, and what lens you use to look.
If you look down you will see rubbish. If you look up you will see monkeys. If you look and listen in you will find that you are the centre of universe … one that is asking you to tune in to the flow.
I have been working on building a rustic garden in the car park.
Thanks to all the people who are giving wonderful things for the garden, pond and window ledges
Always something interesting to see at the NZ Yoga Centre, 20 Stewart Street, corner High Street, Marton
NZ Yoga Centre - AOTEAROA 
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