The depth of yoga that is understood and shared in our modern times is primarily touching the tip of the iceberg.  In a goal oriented, pleasure mad world, the dynamic postures of Hatha Yoga have captured many and become synonymous with the word yoga. While postures are an important base, often the greater expanse of yoga remains like hidden gems in the ocean of wisdom.   As yoga teachers and practitioners, living in times of incredible over stimulation and challenge, there is much to be learned and gained from understanding the essence of Raja Yoga.  The most popularised form of ..read more

What is Resilience No matter who we are, the state of the bank balance or which country we live in; the twists and turns of life, deaths, jobs, relationship stresses, natural disasters and trauma can affect us all. Change influences each of us differently, altering our biochemistry, thoughts and emotions. Resilience is our ability to come back to our centre, to rebound from adversity and to respond to a challenge in a creative way. The adverse aspects of life are not always enjoyable, yet we have the capacity to increase our ability to manage them through Yogic techniques. Each of us ..read more

“The way one see’s life, is like looking through a pair of glasses, formed at a young age. The colour of the lenses distort what is seen. Meditation is a method to clean the glasses so that the view is clear”  The perception of the life is based on everyone’s unique societal, cultural, and family programming called samskaras in yogic terminology. Much like software on a computer, the program creates an interface by which one views their life. The daily perceptions and interactions, driven by sense inputs, the memory bank, nervous system, and brain patterns are experienced as that person’s ..read more

Anahata Yoga Retreat celebrates the Hindu festival of Navaratri: the 9 Nights of the Goddess: Durga and incarnations of Lakshmi and Saraswati. The celebration of Navaratri occurs twice-yearly in the Hindu calendar and is a nine-night festival that celebrates the divine feminine in all her incarnations and the triumph of good over evil in commemoration of the victory of the goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura. Under the Satyananda lineage at Anahata Yoga Retreat, we honour the Goddess Durga (and her counterpart Kali) followed by Lakshmi and finally Saraswati over this time through daily d ..read more

  Here at Anahata, we are honored that Swami Anandakumar has returned to stay for some extra weeks unexpectedly.  And therefore, we are able to offer another opportunity to take part in the Power of Awareness: Silent Meditation Gathering. I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of several previous Silent Meditation gatherings with Swami Anandakumar. However, in the past, I’ve been too busy juggling other duties to become fully immersed in the program. Thankfully, earlier this year, I was able to be an almost full-time student in Swami Anandakumar’s Silent Meditation Gathering – and I l ..read more

  Here at Anahata, we are honored that Swami Anandakumar has returned to stay for some extra weeks unexpectedly.  And therefore, we are able to offer another opportunity to take part in the Power of Awareness: Silent Meditation Retreat. I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of several previous Silent Meditation retreats with Swami Anandakumar. However, in the past, I’ve been too busy juggling other retreat duties to become fully immersed in the program. Thankfully, earlier this year, I was able to be an almost full-time student in Swami Anandakumar’s Silent Meditation Retreat – and I ..read more

  Anahata Yoga Retreat is excited to announce that Swami Anandakumar will be offering the Power of Awareness Silent Meditation Retreat in late-June. Swami Anandakumar teaches with a wisdom, authenticity and generosity of spirit born out of over 35 years of practicing yoga and meditation. With his warm down-to-earth manner, he makes the mystery of meditation clear and accessible. Read on to learn more about this Anahata guest teacher and Silent Meditation.   How can a regular meditation practice be beneficial? Swami Anandakumar: We know the outer world o ..read more

  Salads don’t have to be boring or bland! The following recipes are vibrant, healthy, satisfying, tasty and easy to whip up. Made with colourful produce and delicious homemade dressings, each recipe contains plenty of protein to keep you feeling satiated. If certain ingredients are difficult to acquire, then feel free to substitute for whatever’s in season in your part of the world. We’ve also included some tips to help you build your own delicious salads.   Mediterranean Chickpea Salad Ingredients 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 garlic cloves, minced 2&n ..read more

    5 Minute Tomato Soup Serves: 4 Ingredients 4 (375 grams) roma tomatoes ½ cup (85 grams) sun dried tomatoes ½ cup raw macadamia nuts 1 teaspoon sea salt ¼ cup (20 grams) fresh basil ½ teaspoon white pepper ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1 clove garlic 4 cups hot water Instructions Add all ingredients to the jug of your high-powered blender and blend on high, for 5 minutes until heated through.   Cream of Mushroom Soup Ingredients 2 cups cauliflower florets 1 2/3 cup unsweetened original almond milk 1 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan rock salt Freshly ground pe ..read more

    In the period of a week New Zealand moved into Lockdown as a result of Covid-19, stunning the population as we entered unprecedented territory for New Zealand history. The virus has brought an enormous scale of challenges, along with a variety of other global issues and based on the responses on my Facebook page a fair few people have been losing their balance. My 20-year-old daughter expressed that, “the world is falling apart and what will it be like for future generations?”  Of course, like many, I wonder too. While I am sure the world is not entirely dissolving ..read more