– part of Sadhana Yoga Ltd –
It was so lovely to visit Guruji’s ashram in Mathura. Beautiful peacocks and wild parrots sat in trees and picked through the shredded wheat. We saw many guests at the ashram and I taught yoga to local people.
In this place there is nothing but open country side and old villages dedicated to Radha. It is a great place to come if you want to practice the simple, peaceful life.
Follow the rest of our yoga journey in the posts below …. (Days 1 to 6)
Day 7 & 8 // Haridwar to Delhi
Day 7 was the group’s last official day in Haridwar. We did yoga on the roof in the morning and got a final group shot taken at our guest house near Birla Ghat.
For the next installment of Ali’s yoga journey in India watch this space! I am about to go off the grid into amazing new places, spending time with my sadhu family …
Day 5 // Devprayag – the meeting of two rivers
Steve, Liz & Kim joined Guruji and I on an adventure to Devprayag high up in the Himalayas. Here, two sacred rivers meet to make the official River Ganga. Sitting watching two rivers converge, one milky and tumultuous, one green and serene, was simply perfect. Steve got a special blessing for his ancesters’ well-being, as did I. Guru-ji gathered some water for our pilgrimage to Rameshwaram at the bottom of India.
P.S Annabelle and Tahlia’s rock-star lifestyle caught up with them and they laid low back at base! But there was a girl just like Annabelle at Devprayag!
Day 6 // Kali Cave – Adventuring into the wilderness
Annabelle, Guru-ji and I had an amazing journey to the caves of Kali Gophur. We passed a man preparing tumeric and sat in the depths of the natural caves. The sunset on our return journey was mesmerising! We had such a special day together, breath-taking journey.
P.S. The others decided to have a relaxing day back at base.
Main Bazzar Haridwar photo by Steve Mackinlay
Day 3 // Haridwar – Maya Devi Mandir, Manasa Dvi Mandir, Main Bazaar.
For the locals of Haridwar, Tahlia’s bright red hair was one of the main attractions. For our group, one of the main attractions was shopping at the main bazaar both in Haridwar and Rishikesh! Western mind … very big purchases!
Another wonderful part of being in Haridwar was introducing the group to the sadhus of Maya Devi Mandir.
A big attraction for me (Ali) was bathing in and being by the mighty Ganga (the northern Ganges River) … so beautiful, so serene, so refreshing.
Also, visiting Manasa Devi, via the ‘short-cut’ which entailed climbing up hundreds of steps, was so interesting … as was the cable-car ride down.
Day 4 // Rishikesh – More shopping & sight-seeing…
We spent the day in the yoga mecca of Rishikesh. After lunch we sat down on the soft white sands to watch the River Ganga flow past. The weather was a warm 22 degrees and we engaged with the locals.
Our yoga trip to Haridwar, Rishikesh and Devprayag has been so full of fun, laughter, lessons, great food, adventure and shopping!
The group have moved around like rock stars, getting their photos taken, not to mention all the selfies captured to document the journey.
We have had so many amazing experiences but the internet in Haridwar is sooooo slow~
There will be many more photos posted once the technology improves!
Great trip so far x
On-route to India …
Day One – 30/11/14: Our 8 hour transit in Sydney was put to good use and we stopped off at the beautiful natural rock pool of Maroubra Beach. After swimming and sunbathing we stopped off in the beach-side park and ate gelato!
Stopover Singapore … We found a garden of sunflowers which glowed in the dark.
Day Two – 01/12/14: Everybody shopped till they dropped at the Main Bazaar Delhi … buying silver bangles, hand-made sandles, clothing … At night we did yoga on the roof. Then we did a mindfulness meditation, listening to the orchestra of train horns, sirens, calls to prayer, fireworks. In the background the beautiful Laxshmi Temple glowed with strands of red light glowing against the backdrop of neon signs. Great first day!
Ali and a group of adventurous yogis are off to India on the 30th November 2014! We will be stopping off in Delhi on route to Haridwar, where the waters of the River Ganges (Ganga) run deep and fast and fresh.
If you are keen to keep track of our journey follow us via this webpage. Ali will be being posting updates regularly to keep you up to date with our trip.
Ali will be backing teaching a normal timetable of classes from Monday 5th January 2015.
Today Sadhana Yoga, in Miramar, offered two free classes as part of Wellington Free Yoga Day. There was a great turn out in both classes and we got to see lots of new faces. Keep an eye on this page for the latest photos and comments as they roll in …
Yoga del Sol was taught by Mona: 9.30AM-10.45AM
Over 18 people got to enjoy Mona’s class, which filled with music and mantra, and pranayama. Mona’s aim for this class was bring us out of our ego-consciousness and into the true part of us that is changeless.
Pairs and Partners Yoga – Taught by Ali: 11.30AM – 12.30PM, Sadhana Yoga
Ali instructed a pairs and partners yoga class, and around twenty people did yoga with friends, family members and partners. Pairs Yoga helps deepens each posture, and creates a warm buzz from bodily contact and smooth transitions. Pairs yoga is the yoga of reciprocity – which means we give and take in equal measures. This special class allowed us to build closer ties within the yoga community of Wellington and enjoy the energy of others in the Sadhana Yoga studio space.
This event was a great way to expand and integrate our yoga community, introduce new students to yoga, and develop the yoga skills of current students.
For more information of Sadhana Yoga’s up & coming workshops see our EVENTS CALENDAR …
For more information on Wellington Free Yoga Day see:
http://freeyogaday.wix.com/wellington2014
www.facebook.com/wlgfreeyogaday
end relaxation
Sadhana Yoga is offering two FREE classes for Wellington Free Yoga Day
“A class filled with music and mantra, paired with integral pranayama. This will be a class to bring us out of our ego-consciousness and into the true part of us that is changeless. This creative practice will integrate asana, flow, and kundalini; a mix to stimulate the senses!”
“Do yoga with someone you like: friend, partner, family member! Pairs Yoga deepens each posture, creating a warm buzz from bodily contact and smooth transitions. This is the yoga of reciprocity- give and take!”
This event is a way to expand and integrate our yoga community, introduce new students to yoga, and develop the yoga skills of current students. We look forward to seeing you there … first to come are first on the mat!
** There will also be a normal 6pm Yoga class Monday night, but no 7.30pm class!
This is a meditation intensive for people with previous meditation skills, who want to continue their practice and commitment to deeper aspects of yoga. Cost: $12.50/ class
Sacred spaces heighten natural beauty & energy — Shrines honour and focus sacred energies Altars channel and ground energy during rituals — Do you love being in amazing spaces?
Learn about the elements needed to make your own sacred space. Cost: $20
Do you care if the yoga class you are in is bhoga (self-seeking worldly pleasure)?
New trends within yoga have shown that when teachers disregard yoga’s original aims (achieving inner perfection and peace) practices becomes liable to hybridisation and legal disputes.[1] For example, in 2013, Bikram Choudhury (founder of Bikram Yoga), initiated a number lawsuits claiming intellectual property infringements on his yoga sequences and seeking legal recourse against competing yoga studios and teachers.
If the original aims of yoga, to seek inner perfection and peace, are being overlooked what aspects of our human experience are being perfected in the postmodern context? Or, are some forms of contemporary yoga actually bhoga in disguise?
This focus group will discuss the balances between yoga and bhoga. Cost: Free
Do you want to catch up with some of the interesting people who frequent Sadhana Yoga, or reconnect with our vibrant yoga community after being away or busy, or even come and say goodbye to Ali and the India group before they head off on a yoga adventure? If so, stop in for tea and a chat, or bring a bottle of your favour beverage and toast the holiday period.
We would love to see you at any one of these events!
“Kirstie’s treatments work on so many levels, expect to feel nourished, rebalanced and reconnected …”
Kirstie Cleary from Essential Ayurveda is passionate about utilising the wisdom of Ayurveda, the 5,000 year old Vedic system of health that follows the practice and philosophy of yoga. Translated as “science of life”, Ayurveda focuses on establishing balance in the body and mind through optimum digestion and lifestyle.
We each have a unique constitution (the doshas) which determines our innate metabolic tendencies. Improper digestion of food and life produces toxins that sooner or later manifest as disease. When we live out of harmony with the circadian rhythms of day and night and the seasons, ill-health will occur. If we know what our individual constitution is and how to keep it balanced, we are healthy or Svastha – we are established in the self!
Essential Ayurveda offers health consultations to determine your unique constitution and considers diet, lifestyle, daily routine, and pulse and tongue diagnosis. A personal treatment plan includes dietary and lifestyle recommendations, Ayurvedic herbs, and nourishing body therapies. Experience traditional Abhyanga – a rejuvenating full body massage using warm oil to encourage detoxification, enhance immunity, and restore balance.
Kirstie works from the Miramar Natural Health Centre and Koruhub in Island Bay. For more information about Essential Ayurveda visit www.essentialayurveda.co.nz or contact Kirstie on 021 027 08424 / kirstie@essentialayurveda.co.nz.
NZ Yoga Centre - AOTEAROA 
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