Australian_Yoga_Journal_2016_08_09_downmagaz.com

LIFE IN BALANCE 

FIND 

inner Peace 

Inspire a 

HAPPY LIFE 

MASTERING 

Unlock your 

creativity 

DUNCAN PEAK’S 

yogic guide to spiritual 

transformation 

A 30-minute 

practice to 

feel fearless 

and focused 

ISSN 1837-2406 

9 771837 240006 

ISSUE 53 

A$7.95 NZ$8.50 inc. gst 

0 6 

Ayurvedic kitchari 

for holistic nourishment

Power Living chooses to regularly 

host its yoga retreats at Komune. The 

staff are polite and offer exceptional, 

swift and friendly service. Komune 

is the ultimate choice for us. 

- National Programs Team, Power Living 

BOOK A YOGA RETREAT 

for your yoga tribe with 

ten or more twin rooms 

and receive one luxurious 

suite room FREE for the 

duration of your retreat*

Voted #1 Wellness 

trend for 2016 by 

Spa Finder Wellness 365 

Hosting a Retreat? 

• Ocean front and garden yoga shalas 

• Organic health cafe with food 

served straight from our farm 

• In-house yoga instructor 

• An affordable turnkey operation for 

yoga teaching & wellness retreats 

• Right in front of the world-famous 

Keramas surf break 

For yoga or wellness retreat 

enquiries go to 

www.komuneresorts.com/ 

keramasbali/event_enquiry 

* Conditions Apply. 

• Preferred Bali retreat location 

for Duncan Peak and Power 

Living Yoga 

• Fully equipped functional training 

 

• Luxurious villas, suites and 

well-priced, stylish resort rooms 

B A L I , I N D O N E S I A

august/september 2016 yogajournal.com.au 

6 

AUGUST/S ER 2o16 

28 

44 

58 

A peak performance 

Superstar and founder of Power Living, Duncan 

Peak, talks about his rise to success, finding the 

true meaning of yoga, and keeping it real. 

Stuff we love 

Earthly delights for health and happiness. 

Mindful matters 

How to live a mindful life and find inner-peace. 

Living the dream 

Make your dreams a reality. 

Spark your creativity 

Fire up your creative juices. 

Fabulous frittata 

So much more than just an omelette. 

Spiritual Freedom 

We visit an enchanting Krishna village. 

Interview 

Atira Tan founder of Art2Healing. 

23 LIFESTYLE 

Glamping ... its camping without bugs! 

24 SIMPLE AYURVEDA 

Make Kitchari, a staple food in ayurvedic 

medicine. 

26 EMBODIED EQUANIMITY 

You are not your body. 

28 THE POWER OF INTENTION 

Intention is key to meditation. 

30 MICHAEL FRANTI 

We chat with the musician and activist. 

8 EDITOR’S LETTER 

12 TALK TO US 

33 BROGA 

News, tips, and tune-ups for the blokes. 

34 PARENTING 

Teaching kids mindfulness. 

36 BUILD A BETTER BURGER 

Pescatarian, vegetarian and vegan recipes. 

86 MEET MY TEACHER 

Meet Doreena Scales, a much-loved and 

experienced teacher. 

84 OFF THE MAT 

Renee Canzoneri took her practice off the mat 

to empower and inspire yoga students in Africa. 

70 HOME PRACTICE 

This Kundalini Yoga practice will help you find 

courage. 

74 POSES OF THE MONTH 

How to move from Matsyasana to 

Camatkarasana. 

80 ANATOMY 

Put and end to knee pain. 

58 

38 

84 40 

70 

44 

ON THE COVER 

Photograph courtesy of Duncan Peak 

14 EVENTS 

16 IN THE NOW 

24 

77 

37 SUBSCRIBE 

91 DIRECTORY 

PHOTO: (FROM TOP) SITRIEL/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM; NORA WENDEL FROM HEY YOGI MEDIA; SITRIEL/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM; ANTHIACUMMING/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM; TUNED_IN/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM 

PHOTOS: RICK CUMMINGS; MODEL: CYNDI LEE; STYLIST: EMIL Y CHOI; HAIR/MAKEUP:BETH WALKER; TOP: LULULEMON; BOTTOMS: LUCY

editor’s letter 

ISSUE NO 53. AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 

AUSTRALIAN YOGA JOURNAL 

Contact Media PTY LIMITED 

ABN 20 097 242 807 

PO Box 582 Robina Town Centre Qld 4220 

Tel: (07) 5568 0151 

www.yogajournal.com.au 

EDITOR 

Jessica Humphries 

jess@yogajournal.com.au 

SUB-EDITOR 

Louise Shannon 

louise@yogajournal.com.au 

ART DIRECTOR 

Angela Reeves 

ang@yogajournal.com.au 

NATIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER 

Alison Cole 0411 623 425 

alisoncole@yogajournal.com.au 

PUBLISHER 

Todd Cole todd@yogajournal.com.au 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Loraine Rushton, Tamsin Angus-Leppan, Diana Timmins, 

Duncan Peak, Lorien Waldron 

PRINTER 

Printed by Webstar Print 


8 

Mindful musings 

MY OFFICIAL 

INTRODUCTION to 

mindfulness came 

around six years ago 

when I completed my 

first ten-day silent 

meditation course at a 

Buddhist ashram in 

Thailand. I remember one of the 

facilitators telling us about a man who 

had been wandering around the 

grounds, acting strangely and stealing. 

One of the monks had gone to the host 

and said, ‘Be careful of that man. He’s 

not very mindful.’ This was where my 

understanding of mindfulness began, 

and since then, after completing another 

silent meditation retreat, 2 teacher 

trainings and countless workshops and 

classes on yoga and meditation, the 

meaning of mindfulness for me has 

developed, expanded and evolved. 

Mindfulness has also become quite 

a buzzword during this time. People 

are using the practice to succeed in 

their work and improve their 

relationships. They’re downloading 

apps, hash tagging and reading books 

on the topic. 

Mindfulness to me means 

awareness. And the ability to use that 

awareness to direct your behaviour 

carefully; responding rather than 

reacting, being aware of your own 

feelings and also how your actions 

impact on those around you. When 

Be our friend on Facebook: 

facebook.com/australianyogajournal 

we’re mindful, we’re likely to not only 

be more centred and at peace, but also 

much nicer to be around. 

For the past six months I’ve been 

living with my sister and mum, and 

there’s a new addition to the family – 

my sister’s newborn son. Being 

catapulted back into this family dynamic 

has presented many opportunities for 

old buttons to be pressed and habits to 

re-emerge. And at the very core of the 

chaos is mindlessness. But when I make 

a conscious effort to be mindful, I see 

instant results. The relationships become 

more harmonious and, as a result, we 

are all happier. 

This issue is dedicated to mindfulness, 

because it’s a practice that we can all 

benefit from, and one that is central 

to yoga. We’ve got well-known yogi 

Duncan Peak gracing our cover and 

giving us his tips on how we can find 

clarity and transform in a chaotic world 

(p38), vows of mindfulness (p44), all 

your favourites and so much more. 

So prepare your cuppa, get cosy and 

use this issue as an exercise in 

mindfulness. Feel the texture of the 

pages, smell them, notice your mind 

when it wanders and give yourself 

permission to come back to the 

deliciousness of the here and now. 

JESSICA HUMPHRIES 

Editor 

jess@yogajournal.com.au 

Want to subscribe? Head to 

www.yogajournal.com.au 

Both the paper manufacturer and our printer meet the international standard ISO 14001 

for environmental management. The paper comes from sources certified under the 

Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification scheme (PEFC). Please recycle this 

magazine – or give it to a friend. 

PHOTO: TOO_R/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM 

Australian Yoga Journal is published and distributed 

eight times a year by Contact Media Pty Limited, under 

license from Active Interest Media, 2520 55th Street, Suite 

210, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States of America. 

Copyright © 2016 Active Interest Media. The trademark 

YOGA JOURNAL is a registered trademark of Active Interest 

Media. All rights reserved. Vegetarian Times content, 

which appears in this magazine, is copyrighted © Cruz 

Bay publishing Inc. All Rights reserved, reprinted with 

permission. Subject to national and international intellectual 

property laws and treaties. Vegetarian Times is a registered 

US trademark of Cruz Bay Publishing. This publication may 

not be reproduced in whole or part without the written 

permission of the publisher. Copyright of all images and text 

sent to Australian Yoga Journal (whether solicited or not) is 

assigned to Contact Media upon receipt. Articles express the 

opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the 

Publisher, Editor or Contact Media Pty Limited. Distributed 

by Gordon & Gotch. ISSN 1837 2406. 

ACTIVE INTEREST MEDIA 

CHAIRMAN & CEO Efram Zimbalist III 

PRESIDENT & COO Andrew W. Clurman 

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & CFO Brian Sellstrom 

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS Patricia B. Fox 

DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL LICENSING 

Dayna Macy 

@ CRUZ BAY PUBLISHING, INC. 

The exercise instructions and advice in this magazine 

are designed for people who are in good health and 

physically fit. They are not intended to substitute for 

medical counselling. The creators, producers, participants 

and distributors of Australian Yoga Journal disclaim any 

liability for loss or injury in connection with the exercises 

shown or instruction and advice expressed herein.

200 HOUR 

YOGA TEACHER 

TRAINING 

October 5-November 6, 2016 

BodyMindLife's 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training 

is led by Kat Clayton and Wanderlust headliner 

Noelle Connolly, with the expert knowledge 

and support of our guest teaching team. Unique 

and accessible, the training takes place in our 

world-class, dedicated facilities, giving you with 

the space to become empowered as a teacher. 

Certified by Yoga Australia and Yoga Alliance, 

the course will strengthen your personal 

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You’ll learn the safe and classical alignment of 

the yoga postures, how to intelligently sequence 

and lead classes, and build your teaching skills 

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Through the study of yoga philosophy, breathing 

and meditation techniques, hands-on adjusting 

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You will dive into the business of yoga, and find 

out how to thrive with the support and guidance 

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BodyMindLife 200 Hour Yoga 

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October 5-November 6, 2016 

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Early Bird: $3190 

(By August 6, 2016) 

The course is open to all but places 

are strictly limited. For information 

and registration please go to 

bodymindlife.com/whatson 

Level 1, 84 Mary Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 

T. +61 2 9211 0178 | bodymindlife.com

connect 

AYJ FAMILY 

Meet the Yogis 


10 

Duncan Peak 

Practicing for nearly two 

decades, Duncan has 

trained in most major 

styles of yoga and is the 

founder Power Living. A 

teacher’s teacher, he has 

graduated more than 

1000 yoga teachers and authored the book, 

Modern Yoga. He helped start YogaAid, a charity 

that has raised more than one million dollars for 

people in need. Duncan teaches internationally 

and inspires thousands of people to live selflessly. 

Nicole Walsh 

Nicole offers a progressive 

approach to Vinyasa Flow 

Yoga through her vibrant 

studio, InYoga, in Sydney. 

She infuses traditional 

yoga practices with asana, 

pranayama, music and 

meditation, with some fun and play thrown in. 

Nicole inspires her students to create balance 

and life choices that are realistic and sustainable. 

Simon Borg-Olivier 

Simon is a co-director of 

Yoga Synergy, one of 

Australia’s longest running 

and most respected yoga 

schools. Their style is 

based on a deep 

understanding of anatomy, physiology and 

Hatha Yoga. Simon, a registered physiotherapist, 

is also a research scientist and university lecturer. 

He has been teaching since 1982 and leading 

workshops and conferences interstate and 

overseas since 1990. 

Carrie-Anne Fields 

Carrie-Anne founded My 

Health Yoga in 1998 to 

specialise in yoga, 

counselling and healing. 

She has a degree in 

psychology and is 

certified in yoga, acupuncture, kinesiology, 

reiki and Ka Huna Bodywork. Carrie-Anne is an 

accredited Level 3 Senior Yoga Teacher with 

Yoga Australia and represents Australia as a 

board member of the World Movement for 

Yoga and Ayurveda. 

Rachel Zinman 

Rachel Zinman has been 

practising since 1983, 

teaching since 1992 and 

teaching teachers since 

2000. She’s studied with 

some of the most 

influential teachers in the 

West including Alan Finger and Mark Whitwell as 

well as immersing herself in the study of 

Vedanta. A professional dancer from a young 

age, a singer/songwriter, poet and bestselling 

author, she is now completing a book on yoga 

for diabetes. 

Eve Grzybowski 

Eve, who was born in the 

USA, adopted yoga as her 

life’s path on moving to 

Australia. She became a 

teacher and is renowned 

for her dedication, 

humour, and gentle 

manner. Eve, who has founded two yoga 

schools, has been a teacher for 36 years and has 

been training new teachers for 25 years. She 

sees yoga as the best way to create peace and 

happiness in the world. 

HarJiwan/Jacinta Csutoros 

HarJiwan, founder of 

HarJiwanYoga and 

her signature ‘WOW 

40 Day’ programs for 

women, is a teacher, 

healer and role model for 

the massive shift in 

consciousness happening on this planet. 

HarJiwan studied with the Master of Kundalini 

Yoga, Yogi Bhajan, and is an experienced and 

dynamic Kundalini Yoga teacher. After opening 

Australia’s first Kundalini Yoga studio in south 

Melbourne, HarJiwan is now in Byron Bay 

teaching workshops, intensives and specialised 

online programs. 

Introducing our AYJ family! 

This group of passionate and 

experienced yogis links us to 

the yoga world. We can’t be 

everywhere at once, and so we 

rely on this beautiful community 

to connect us to the greater 

yoga society in Australia. We’ll 

be tapping into their expert 

knowledge and including their 

passion and wisdom in the 

creation of each love-filled edition. 

Amy Landry 

Amy Landry is an 

inspiration for those 

wanting to create 

long-lasting change in 

their body, mind, and 

soul through yoga and 

ayurveda. Renowned for 

her international retreats, Amy has built a strong 

following through her dedicated work in the 

community. She is a regular contributor to yogarelated 

magazines, has presented at many yoga 

festivals, and has taught globally in India, Sri 

Lanka, Malaysia, and beyond. 

Lorien Waldron 

Lorien Waldron is an 

ayurvedic health and 

lifestyle consultant who 

works on physical and 

energetic levels, believing 

in a holistic approach to 

health. She is a yoga and 

cooking teacher with a passion for organic 

wholefoods, plant-based nutrition, digestive 

health and intuitive eating. She is the founder of 

Wholesome Loving Goodness and author of 

eBook, Simple Ayurveda in the Kitchen. 

Mary-Louise Parkinson 

Mary-Louise is the current 

President of IYTA. She is a 

Senior Certified Teacher 

with Yoga Alliance and 

Yoga Australia and holds 

Diploma and Post 

Graduate Qualifications 

with both IYTA and Dru. She is an author, 

counsellor and a pilot, with over 20 years’ yoga 

teaching experience.

“In his book, Mark shares the importance of breathing to energize ourselves. 

Breathe and let go. Read this book.” — Deepak Chopra 

the Promise 

You can have what you really want. 

a new book from Mark Whitwell 

Published by Urban Family Foundation, now available from ThePromise.com 

Mark Whitwell is interested in developing an authentic yoga practice for 

the individual, based on the teachings of T. Krishnamacharya and his son TKV 

Desikachar, with whom he enjoyed a relationship for more than twenty years. 

Study with Mark at one of these upcoming Heart of Yoga Teacher Trainings: 

HEART OF YOGA 1-WEEK MODULES 

Pepper Tree Retreat, Ojai California 

May 7-13, 2016 = Nov. 13-19, 2016 

HEART OF YOGA 2-WEEK INTENSIVE 

Heart of Yoga Ashram, Taveuni, Fiji 

September 25 – October 8, 2016 

Contact our retreat coordinator for more information: amy@urbanfamily.org 

Teacher trainings and retreats are a partnership between 

501(c)(3)s Heart of Yoga and Urban Family Foundation 

More information at: heartofyoga.org = urbanfamily.org

nn t 

TALK TO US 

yimi 

Connect with us on email or social media! 

Keep hash tagging #AYJinspo to 

be featured on our instagram feed! 

We love when you share your snaps of 

enjoying the latest issue. 

@bellaandbhakti gets cosy with her 

smoothie bowl and our yummy, 

winter issue. 

Congrats for winning a one-year 

subscription @bellaandbhakti. 

Contact us to claim your prize. 

@yogapatch is loving her new @yogipeaceclub 

mat and was excited to share. 

Ahimsa 

We received a comment on our Facebook 

page about our last edition and wanted 

to share with our lovely readers. 

Julie Clark said, Absolutely love the cover. 

Just beautiful. A chicken recipe in AYJ not 

so much. Ahimsa! I had to look twice to 

believe it. 

Thanks so much Julie. Glad you loved the cover. We did too! I did feel 

divided when publishing that recipe. I love Kathryn Budig and that she is 

encouraging healthier alternatives.’ I agree though that a mindful diet is a 

very important part of a yogic lifestyle, and as yogis we should absolutely 

aim to be non-violent (Ahimsa) on and off the mat. It made me think 

about it (and us talk about it) so that’s a good thing. Thanks. 

Keep reading! - Ed 

200hr, 350hr & 750hr yoga teacher training 

advanced diploma of yoga & meditation 

online part-time intensive 

brisbane sunshine coast 

fully accredited senior teachers 

www.yimi.com.au 

yoga & integrative medicine institute 

Connect and win 

Your contribution to our community is so valuable. 

Email us or connect on social media with your ideas 

on how we can make the magazine even better. 

Your feedback doesn’t have to be positive – just 

constructive. Send us an email to editor@yogajournal 

com.au, join our facebook community facebook. 

com/australianyogajournal or follow us on instagram 

@yogajournalaustralia

Byron Bay 

Shop 3B, 

1 Byron St 

02 6685 7595 

Southport 

Brickworks Centre, 

3 Brolga Ave 

07 5532 5454 

www.divinegoddess.net 

Bali 

Jalan Raya Basangkasa 

No.1200B, Seminyak 

+61 361 730 498 

Designer Yoga Apparel & Lifestyle Products

connect 

EVENTS 

What’s On 

Your essential guide to what’s on in the yoga world 

Power Living Advanced Yin Retreat 

Sri Lanka August 15-22 

Dive into yogic studies that will directly impact your yin practice. This retreat is open to those 

wanting to teach yin yoga, acquire a better understanding of the meridans, delve deep into 

the study of the body or simply expand their practice. www.powerliving.com.au/events 

The Science Behind Yoga 

Practice 

Rainbow Kids Teacher Training 

Mindfulness Coaching with 

Tammy Williams 

Sydney July 15-17 

Delve deeper into the philosophy of the Yoga 

Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita. This weekend 

workshop with Arti Daryanani will help you to 

embrace these teachings, and integrate them into 

your daily yoga, meditation and relaxation 

practice, or classes.www.iyta.org.au 

My Health Yin Teacher Training 

Gold Coast Starts August 14 

This-100 hour course includes yin asana, 

sequencing, pranayama, mantras, meridian 

therapy, anatomy and physiology, healing 

practices & philosophy. A great addition for 

current level 1 or 2 students or simply for 

personal development. 

www.myhealthyoga.com 

Byran Kest Master Classes 

Adeliade September 23-25 

The Rainbow Kids Yoga Teacher Training is 

well rounded and intensive, with practical 

theory, discussions and lots of furn! Most 

importantly, you will come out with immediate 

tangible knowledge and tons of fabulous ideas 

to create original, captivating and fun yoga 

experiences for kids of all ages. 

www.rainbowyogatraining.com 

nternational Yoga Destivalogaday. 

Refine Your Art Mentorship Retreat 

Ibiza, Spain September 10-17 

Hosted by Delamay Devi, this retreat allows you 

to go deep into your dharma and unravel why 

you do what you do. Created with the intention 

of supporting you on your path of embodying, 

living and breathing, this course promises to 

help you shine in your own unique way. 

Sunshine Coast August 12-15 

Join founder of Yoga NRG on this Level 1 

training that incudes inspiring topics like 

‘Anatomy of Stress and Suffering’ and 

‘How to shift from ‘dis-ease’ to ‘ease’’. 

Explore, practice and teach the foundations 

of mindfulness and much more. 

www.yogaenergy.com.au 

Learning Circles Retreat 


14 

Sydney August 27-28 

Join master yogi Bryan Kest for his only 

workshops in Sydney. Bryan’s classes are strong 

yet well-rounded, simple practices that will 

leave you inspired and vibrating with vitality. 

www.inyoga.com.au 

Wanderlust 108 

Perth September 10 

Wanderlust 108, the world’s only mindful triathlon, 

is heading to Perth this September. Join the 

mindful movement. 

www.wanderlust.com 

www.delamaydevi.com 

Yogic Journey to Machu Picchu 

Peru September 15-24 

Join Peru Adventura and yoga teacher Melanie 

McLaughlin for a personalised journey to 

rejuvenate your spirit and satisfy your inner 

gypsy. Yoga, hiking (4 days on the Inca Trail) 

and discovery of the Peruvian culture, shaman 

meeting and sight-seeing included. 

www.peru-adventura.com 

Sunshine Coast August 12-15 

Held in a quaint fishing village surrounded by 

national park and only steps to the beach in a 

beautiful house with an open fire, you will 

enjoy vegetarian food, yoga classes, restorative 

classes, yoga nidra, walking, exploring the 

surrounds and an ayurvedic assessment. 

www.learningcirclesyoga.com 

Got an event on? Send your event 

details to jess@yogajournal.com.au 

along with a high-resolution image.

YOGA EXPO 

30-31 JULY 2016 

AN EXPOSE OF YOGA AND HEALTH- 

RELATED INDUSTRIES INCLUDING: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At 86 Green Terrace, Windsor, Brisbane 

Tickets: General entry $10, Children 12 and under FREE 

(allows entry to exhibitor stalls, music performances and some talks) 

General entry + Yoga workshops (limited tickets) 1 day $60 \\ 2 days $110 

(minimum age for these tickets is 13 years) 

Tickets and further information available at 

 

Brought to you by the organisers of Yoga Fest – Australia’s Largest Celebration of Yoga

the latest 

IN THE NOW 

YOGIS UNITE 

On December 11, 2014, the United Nations declared June 21 as the International day of yoga. This year, the occasion was 

celebrated all over the world, with massive gatherings of yogis practicing together. The Indian Prime Minister, Nerandra Modi, 

was in full support of the event, delivering a speech then practicing with over 30,000 local and international guests in 

Chandigarh. Indians congregated in the wee hours to secure their space and enthusiastically moved through a series of simple 

postures to celebrate a day dedicated to this traditional practice that has become so widely loved. In Australia, thousands 

grouped at the Sydney Opera House and Bondi Beach, joined by some of the nation’s most renowned yogis for asana, 

meditation, music and panel discussions to unite in a worldwide celebration of yoga. 

Spaces we adore 


16 

SKYLAB SYDNEY 

Skylab is an unexpected aerial yoga studio set in a grungy 

building in Sydney’s Surry Hills. An easy walk from Central 

Station, when you’ve found your way to the building (aptly 

located next to an Indian takeaway joint), you key in the code to 

be buzzed in. As you enter the building you’ll be forgiven for 

being a little on edge as you trudge up the concrete stairs, 

observing the graffiti clad walls. But once you’ve found your way 

to the studio on the fourth floor you’ll be more than pleasantly 

surprised by this elegant, brightly lit space with polished 

floorboards and city views. Skylab offers a variety of aerial classes 

– from Restorative to Airflow. www.sky-lab.com 

COMO RESORTS PERTH 

Como Hotels and Resorts has just opened a new Shambala 

Urban Escape in Perth, solely dedicated to yoga, clinical pilates 

and personal training – and it’s a little bit fancy! Vinyasa and 

yin yoga classes are offered to guests of the lush hotel as well 

as visitors dropping in for a class. Visitors can even book in for 

a ‘wellness experience’ of yoga and a healthy breakfast. 

Experienced yogi and manager of the new Escape, Stephanie 

Johnson said, “Our vision is to provide the ideal urban escape 

for Perth city dwellers. A sanctuary that allows people the 

capability to switch off and be nurtured.” What a treat! 

www.comoshambhala.com/perth

the latest 

IN THE NOW 

How to Wash 

Your Yoga Mat 

September for 

a Cause 

Finally! Something we can really get on board with. Despite the 

growing popularity of Brewery Yoga, we yogis aren’t feeling all 

that challenged by the whole Dry July movement. But here’s 

something to really get you thinking. Try going sugar-free for 

September while supporting people with Muscular Dystrophy. 

Aussies consume an average of 53kg of sugar each year! This 

initiative aims to create mindfulness around this consumption, 

reduce it and also raise funds for Muscular Dystrophy NSW. 

You can register online for free as a team or individual, start 

fundraising and take control of your own health and wellbeing. 

For more information on the initiative check out 

sugarfreeseptember.gofundraise.com.au, and for details on 

the charity go to mdnsw.org.au 

Ingredients: 

1 cup water 

1/4 cup white vinegar 

15 drops tea tree essential oil 

10 drops lavender essential oil 

Fill a spray bottle about 3/4 full with 

water. Pour in the vinegar almost to 

the top of the bottle, leaving some 

room for the oil. Add in the essential 

oils and give the bottle a shake! 

Spray yoga mat and wipe clean. 

Presto! A clean, fresh-smelling mat. 

Inspired by the ‘One Wave is all it Takes’ community, 

who surf in fluro every Friday along worldwide 

beaches to create mental health awareness, 

Sydney based ‘Free Spirit’ is hosting Fluro Friday Yoga 

on the first Friday of every month from the 7th of 

August in Manly. This free event is open to all and yogis 

encouraged to harness their inner disco junkie and get their 

brights on! Check out the website for more info about the 

cause and how you can be a part of this fun and conscious m 

freespirit.co/one-wave/ 

FLURO FRIDAY YOGA 


17


18 

the latest 

IN THE NOW 

CONSCIOUS 

DATING 

If you’re sick of the old Tinder shirtless 

selfies, nightclubs aren’t your scene and 

the thought of having another awkward 

date with someone who doesn’t know 

what pranayama is, we’ve got some 

exciting news for you! The team at 

Conscious Dating might really be onto 

something here. They’re all about ‘keeping 

it real, provoking thoughtful conversation 

and moving beyond surface-level 

introductions.’ The evenings start off with 

a group activity like laughter yoga or life 

drawing then attendees split off into 

groups of two and rotate. Natural wines, 

herbal tea and vegan bliss balls are 

provided, and at the end of the night 

you’re given a card to note who you’d 

like to see again. Matches are emailed 

to you after the event. And you don’t 

have to waste hours with your head 

in a screen flicking through profiles of 

people posing with sedated tigers. Winning! But really, 

kudos to CD for creating a mindful space for people to connect and 

get to know each other on a deeper level. We’re all for it! 

consciousdatingco.com 

JULIA ROBERTS – the face of 

Actress Julia Roberts 

attends the premiere of 

“Eat Pray Love” at the 

Ziegfeld Theatre on August 

10, 2010 in New York City. 

THE LATEST BEND TREND 

Just when you thought it couldn’t get 

any more cultured than Conscious 

Dating, roll out your mats for Museum 

Yoga! Apparently it’s been trending for 

a while now and Aussies have finally 

cottoned onto this unique practice. The 

Sydney Opera House offered ‘Sunrise 

on the Steps’ through April and May 

and sold out, and the Museum of 

Contemporary Art Australia presented 

the Spring Yoga Series on their rooftop 

Sculpture Terrace. Yogis were invited to 

linger after their practice at the museum 

for live music, creative workshops or 

gallery viewing. To stay up to date 

with the future plans of yoga at MCA, 

see mca.com.au 

YOGA? 

According to media reports, 

the Indian Government is planning 

a global campaign to promote 

India with Hollywood superstar 

Julia Roberts. Rajan Zed, President 

of the Universal Society of 

Hinduism, said that Roberts might 

be just the right candidate to 

promote India as a yogi destination 

due to her open devotion 

to Hinduism and personal, 

enlightening experiences in the 

country (as in Eat, Pray, Love). 

Roberts claims to have “received 

real spiritual satisfaction through 

Hinduism.” 

PHOTO: MICHAEL PAULA ANDREEWITCH; LOCCISANO/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM 

KIRSTY HOBSON

th l t t 

MEDIA 

PEACE 

Written by Christopher Papadopoulos and structured in 

a primarily Q & A format, this book guides readers on a 

imple yet profound journey of discovery, inviting them 

o discard their mental concepts about what peace is or 

sn’t. This book reveals the deep relationship between 

peace and body awareness. Inhabiting the present moment through deep 

body awareness makes peace manifest in our lives and across 

the planet. $14 + postage www.amazon.com 

SIMPLE AYURVEDA 

IN THE KITCHEN 

Our regular contributor and Ayurveda expert 

Lorien Waldron shares her wisdom on all things 

Ayurveda in her new E-book. Offering 108 pages of 

easy to digest Ayurvedic plant-based food and lifestyle 

inspiration, the book has been designed to educate and empower with tips, 

delicious simple recipes and secrets on how to incorporate simple Ayurvedic 

practices. Yummy, simple, beautifully laid, gluten-free, vegan-friendly, vego 

wholesome deliciousness! $27 www.wholesomelovinggoodness.com 

GIRL IN THE AIR 

A new must-read novel for yogis by Tyler Pike. It is 

the first in a series of books about Alice Brickstone, a 

yogini with teenage angst, a traumatic past, and the 

yogic power of free-flight. Miles Franklin winner 

om Flood calls Girl in the Air “wackily funny and 

ridiculously believable…an unstoppable magical realism action thriller”. 

Alice’s healing through yoga makes compelling reading and, as reviewer 

DT Chanel says, “Rarely have I fallen in love with a heroine as thoroughly 

as I have Alice”. Available from all online book retailers. A percentage 

of book sales go to Art2Healing. 

www.tylerpikebooks.com Review by Tamsin Angus-Leppan 

7 day Detox, Yoga and 

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We invite you to join us on a week’s 

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Detox and invigorate with 5 days 

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2 days of plant based cuisine. 

• Practical food demonstrations & recipes 

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• Sprouting and tray greens, dressings, 

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• Daily nutritional and lifestyle lectures 

include: Health versus disease, 

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A daily therapeutic yoga program will be 

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Facilitated by Lance & Susan Schuler 

and Ella Winkless. 

Venue: Inspya Yoga Studio, 

Lot 1 Natural Lane, Broken Head 

Cost: Early bird before August 1 $950 

Full price $1050 

THE FEELING OF WATER 

A short, fast-moving sequel to Tyler Pike’s yogic 

thriller series, Girl in the Air. Tyler’s books have only 

just launched, and The Feeling of Water is listed at 

number one in its category on Amazon and is available 

for free on the author’s website as a launch promo. Although 

it is a “thriller,” it’s more like a yogic version of Harry Potter than a Lee Child 

novel. The suspense is built around a mysterious accident involving water. 

Yogis won’t find it too scary and there are no guns or blood and guts. 

www.tylerpikebooks.com Review by Tamsin Angus-Leppan 

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om 

LIVE WELL 

Glamping 

the new way to retreat 

Yogis are going gaga over all things simple living. We’re loving the nomadic, 

van-life, quitting our nine to fives to escape to the country and rebelling 

against the traditional, claustrophobic way of living that we’ve been doing 

for oh so long. And even when we’re not living it superficially, we’re 

practicing it internally. Letting go of the possessions and beliefs that no 

longer serve us. Refusing to give in to our conditioning and seeking a simpler 

way - physically, mentally and spiritually. Goodbye fancy resorts and hello 

glamping! Glamping (Glamorous Camping) combines all we love about 

simplifying and being in nature with the creature comforts of home. Instead 

of staying in a character-less hotel room or a critter-filled tent, glamping 

meets you half way. Think yurts, vintage caravans and teepees with carpeted 

floors and a comfortable bed. It doesn’t stop there. Some glampers go all 

out beautifying the space with all sorts of hippie luxe décor. And the yoga 

world has caught onto the trend, with more and more glamping style yoga 

retreats popping up. These retreats combine daily yoga practices, healthy, 

wholesome food and yogic activities whilst you enjoy simple, glamp-style 

accommodation amongst nature. A quick Google search will bring up oodles 

of glamping yoga retreats around Australia. We’re loving the look of Byron 

Bay’s ‘Yoga Safari Retreat’, a collaboration between three local teachers 

sharing their yogic wisdom and knowledge of this beautiful area with guests. 

See www.byronbayyogasafari.com for more details. 

PHOTO: QINGYI/ISTOCK.COM; YOGA SAFARI RETREAT 


23

om 

COMFORT 

itc 

FOOD 

ari 

NOURISH YOU MIND AND SPIRIT. 

By Lorien Waldron 

Kitchari is a staple food in ayurvedic medicine, made from a combination of lentils, rice and spice, that 

yogis have been eating for centuries. When cooked together, lentils and rice form a complete protein, 

making this a key dish in many vegetarian cultures and a wonderful, simple, and satisfying yogi meal. 

The word kitchari means ‘to mix’, and there are limitless possibilities as to which combination of 

lentils, vegetables and spices you can mix together to prepare your kitchari. Traditionally in ayurvedic 

medicine, Kitchari is prepared with split mung beans or split red lentils as both are known to be easy 

to digest and, therefore, are highly nourishing. 

Simple and nourishing ayurvedic kitchari recipe 

This is a basic kitchari recipe that can be served with a side of steamed vegetables, a vegetable subji, 

or simply by itself. To make a hearty vegetable kitchari, combine your favourite selection of seasonal 

vegetables such as pumpkin, zucchini, green beans, broccoli, silverbeet and/or spinach. Once you 

know how to make this basic kitchari, the possibilities are endless! 

SERVES: APPROX.2 

TIME: 15 MINUTES 

1 cup split moong beans 

½ cup basmati or brown rice* 

5 cups boiling water 

2 Tbs. ghee or coconut oil 

1 tsp. cumin seeds 

1 tsp. whole coriander seeds 

½ tsp. fennel seeds 

1 tsp. finely chopped ginger 

1 small red onion (optional) 

1 clove fresh garlic (optional) 

1 tsp. turmeric powder 

1 tsp. sea salt 

A few cracks of black pepper 

½ cup finely chopped fresh coriander 

*This recipe can be made using quinoa 

instead of rice. 

Creation process 

1 Warm ghee or coconut oil in a 

saucepan on medium heat then add 

the dry spices: cumin, coriander and 

fennel seeds. Stir to lightly toast the 

spices for 2-3 minutes or until they 

start to sizzle. 

2 Add fresh ginger, red onion, garlic 

and turmeric powder. Sauté for 2-3 

minutes until the onion becomes 

soft. Add the split moong beans and 

rice and toast with the spices for 2-3 

minutes before adding water. 

3 Pour 5 cups of boiling water into 

the pot and bring to the boil for 

7-10 minutes. 

4 Add sea salt and black pepper. 

Stir continuously to bring out the 

creaminess of the lentils and rice. 


24 

5 Turn heat down to medium 

and simmer with the lid on for 

approximately 20 minutes or 

until the rice and lentils are 

soft and creamy. Once cooked, 

add a handful of freshly chopped 

coriander. 

LORIEN WALDRON is the founder 

of wholesomelovinggoodness.com. 

Check out her eBook available on 

her website or connect on social 

media @wholesomelovinggoodness 

for simple Ayurvedic lifestyle tips 

and organic wholefood inspiration 

and education. 

PHOTO: SHANTANU STARICK

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26 

The art of 

Embodied 

EQUANIMITY 

Wabi Sabi Well creators Brieann Boal and 

Caitlin Nowland explore how yoga helps 

us find balance, on and off the mat. 

IN A CULTURE that’s preoccupied with 

physical appearances, we’re taught to see 

our bodies as a separate entity - hunks of 

meat to be manipulated, controlled, coaxed 

and whittled to a prescribed shape and size. 

The focus is on how we look rather than 

how we feel. So we learn to forfeit the 

connection to our body in the pursuit of an 

outward, superficial goal. 

Disconnecting comes naturally to us 

because we are biologically wired to move 

away from pain of both the physical and 

emotional variety. So when we’re in pain, 

confronted, or even mildly uncomfortable, 

we concoct exit strategies that take us 

further away from our bodies. The type of 

escape varies for each of us – overeating, 

over sleeping, losing ourselves in online 

wanderings and virtual realities, 

numbing out with addictions or compulsive 

behaviours, and the list goes on. 

Habitual disconnection is a slippery 

slope that leads to a fractured sense of self. 

We forfeit our sense of wholeness, making 

it easier to further trash, abuse or mistreat 

our estranged bodies. In this state of 

dissociation, our inclinations inevitably 

lean toward more harmful habits such as 

eating disorders, self-harm, addictions, 

and toxic relationships. 

However, we can interrupt the 

evolutionary reflex to dissociate when the 

going gets tough by retraining ourselves to 

learn how to be comfortable with feeling 

uncomfortable. We don’t have to suppress 

feelings or sensations, but we also don’t 

have to identify with them. The magic 

middle ground is equanimity, or as 

meditation teacher Shinzen Young puts it, 

“the balanced state of non-interference”. 

By accepting, but not identifying or 

interfering with feelings and sensations, 

we suffer less through unpleasant 

experiences and derive deeper fulfilment 

from pleasurable experiences. Through 

equanimity, we are able to live in a state of 

deep awareness and non-attachment , 

which are the keys to embodiment. 

Maintaining a state of embodied 

equanimity has a positive effect on all 

aspects of life. Young explains that, “when 

feelings are experienced with equanimity, 

they assure their proper function as 

motivators and directors of behaviour as 

opposed to driving and distorting 

behaviour”. In other words, we eat, sleep, 

move and act consciously, in harmony with 

our natural rhythms. We tend not to over 

eat or under eat, or under or over exercise 

for that matter. We become less reactive 

and less inclined to outbursts. Our 

relationship with ourselves and others 

flourish. We make choices in line with our 

highest good. 

A practice of embodied equanimity on 

the mat allows us to cultivate the tools we 

need to maintain equanimity off the mat. 

By creating challenging physical conditions 

and then noticing the inner dialogue we 

learn to stay (rather than leave or resist) 

and listen (without judgement or 

attachment). Try this: come into Warrior II 

and hold for 1-2 minutes. As the physical 

intensity builds, watch what happens with 

an attitude of friendly curiosity. Consent to 

the sensations, acknowledge and accept 

them, then let them pass. 

Off the mat, pay attention to emotions. 

Feel it all, let it move through you without 

trying to stop the tears, escape the 

sensations or suppress the sorrows. Sense 

as the feeling naturally spreads thin and 

dissipates. On the flip side, when you’re 

experiencing pleasure – a sweet savasana, 

a favourite food or stunning sunset vista – 

take a swan dive into presence. Notice how 

much more fulfilled you feel just by giving 

yourself permission to enjoy without 

denying, fixating or grasping. 

Embodied equanimity is the art of 

staying. And it’s an art that’s worth 

devoting yourself to. Give yourself radical 

permission to feel and you’ll experience 

less resistance and reactivity on and off the 

mat. 

Brieann Boal and Caitlin Nowland are 

co-creators of Wabi-Sabi Well, a holistic 

wellness method that covers a host of 

mind and body bases. The Wabi-Sabi 

Well method is a comprehensive formula 

fusing metabolism-boosting movement, 

mindfulness, bioenergetic techniques and 

deep relaxation. The method integrates not 

just the physical, but also the emotional and 

spiritual elements to help you reconnect 

and return to a healthy state of balance, 

harmony and wellbeing. It’s the antidote to 

perfection-seeking, bikini boot camps and 

will leave you feeling liberated, motivated, 

and wildly free. Workouts, guided 

meditations and more available on 

www.wabisabiwell.com 

PHOTO: BRUSONJA /ISTOCKPHOTO.COM; BAYLEIGH VEDALGO

FIND OUT MORE 

Online at powerliving.com.au or email 

Brooke at programs@powerliving.com.au 

conscious yoga athletica

Best 

intentions 

Setting the right intention is 

a powerful way to develop 

key qualities for a dedicated, 

heartfelt meditation practice. 

By Richard Miller PhD 


28 

PHOTO: RIKE_/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

AS WITH EVERY JOURNEY in life, 

every meditation session and practice 

is better when it begins with an intention. 

Sankalpas, as intentions are known in yoga, 

are your heartfelt, intuitively sensed 

attitudes that unfold within you over time. 

They are powerful internal agreements 

that you make with yourself and then 

express through your actions, whether it’s 

in your relationships, at work, or on your 

yoga mat or meditation cushion. Sankalpas 

foster focus, motivation, determination, 

patience, and perseverance –all qualities 

that enable you to develop, sustain, and 

deepen a meditation practice. 

If you don’t set firm intentions, you 

will eventually lose sight of the reason 

you’re meditating, and you’ll find yourself 

wandering off course. A simple, specific 

sankalpa could be to meditate daily or to 

take 10 one-minute meditation breaks 

throughout your day, ensuring you carve 

out time for meditation regardless of your 

state of mind or the length of your to-do 

list. Or, if you need help focusing once you 

get to your meditation cushion, you 

can set a sankalpa to inquire 

into a particular emotion or 

belief, to focus on being 

aware of all that’s 

arising in your 

body and mind, 

or ultimately to be aware of being aware. 

No intention is either too small or too large. 

The point is to discover and affirm the 

intentions that are right for you. 

Find your intentions 

Genuine intentions arise from your innate, 

essential nature – the force that drives you 

to breathe, eat, and seek shelter (as well as 

to find a connection to something bigger, 

or to seek enlightenment). Take time with 

the exercise (below) to discover your 

genuine intentions, write them down, and 

engage them for your practice. 

Do this when you first start a meditation 

practice, but also any time you lose focus 

along your meditation journey. Keep in 

mind that intentions are concise statements 

that harness your determination to achieve 

specific outcomes. It’s important, then, 

when building your intentions to say what 

you mean and mean what you say. Instead 

of saying “I may” or “I will”, affirm “I do!” 

To start, write down words or phrases 

that best describe your answers to the 

questions below. Take time to ponder each 

question; your answers should be both 

practical and realistic according to your 

present lifestyle and situation. Remember, 

it’s better to do little and succeed on those 

terms than to be overly ambitious and not 

succeed at all. 

1. What is my deepest desire for practicing 

meditation? 

2. How many minutes each session am 

I truly willing to dedicate to the practice? 

3. How many days a week am I truly 

willing to meditate? 

4. With respect to a particular meditation 

session, what is my deepest desire for 

and during this session? (For instance, 

is your goal to welcome a particular 

sensation or to remain undistracted by 

what’s arising in your awareness, and 

instead to experience and abide as 

awareness?) 

Now, reread your responses and pay 

attention to how true each feels on an 

intuitive level in your body. For instance, 

when you affirm each statement, think 

about whether it feels ‘right’ in your gut or 

heart,and not just in your thinking mind. 

Circle keywords or phrases that resonate 

with you. 

Then, express each intention as a 

concise statement of fact in the present 

tense, as if it’s already true. This enables 

your subconscious mind to register your 

Take a seat 

Practice meditating in various positions – 

supine, prone, sitting, standing, walking – 

so it becomes easier to integrate meditation 

into your daily life. When sitting on a 

cushion, keep your knees below your hips 

to maintain the normal curves in your spine. 

Rest your arms in a comfortable position on 

your lap with your palms upturned, gently 

lengthen your neck, and soften your 

forehead, eyes, ears, and jaw, releasing 

any unwanted tension throughout your 

body. Finally, state your intentions and 

dive into your meditation. 

intentions as actualities instead of 

possibilities, giving them greater power 

to materialise. For example, instead of 

saying, “I will meditate five days a week 

for 2o minutes each time,” affirm, “I 

meditate five days a week for 2o minutes 

each time.” 

Next, pick one, two, or even three 

intentions and shorten them into simple, 

easily remembered phrases. For instance: 

“I meditate three times a week for 10 

minutes each time” can be stated as “Three 

and 10!”. “I’m kind and compassionate 

toward myself” becomes “Kindness!”, and 

“I speak truth in each and every moment” 

becomes “Truth!”. 

Finally, repeat your intentions internally 

to yourself at the beginning of, throughout, 

and at the end of every meditation practice. 

Always affirm your intentions with deep 

feeling and certainty, with your entire body 

and mind. 

Stay the course 

Follow the steps we’ve outlined so far 

and watch what happens when, for 

instance, you’re slipping into bed at the end 

of the day without having meditated. Your 

intention to meditate daily will then prompt 

you to get out of bed and meditate, so that 

you can keep your agreement with yourself. 

Strong intentions keep you on track and 

enable you to meet your goals, no matter 

what’s going on in your life. Nourish and 

affirm your intentions with patience, 

persistence, perseverance, and love, and 

they will never fail you! 

Richard Miller, PhD, is the founding 

president of the Integrative Restoration 

Institute (irest.us), co-founder of the 

International Association of Yoga Therapists, 

and author of iRest Meditation and Yoga Nidra. 

This is his first in a series of 10 

columns designed to help you create a 

lasting and impactful meditation practice. 


29

Om 

INTERVIEW 

Q&A WITH 

Michael Franti 

Michael Franti and Spearhead have released their ninth album, Soulrocker, with 

a mission to make music we can dance to. Their blend of hip-hop, rock, folk and 

reggae reflects the beliefs of Franti, a much-loved activist for peace around the 

world and a musician whose gigs are famed for their spiritual and uplifting energy. 

Michael (who loves Byron Bay!) talks to Louise Shannon about compassion, giving 

back to the world, and the power of yoga. 


30 

AYJ What was the inspiration for your 

new album, Soulrocker? 

MICHAEL I make music because I love 

people and the planet. And I want to make 

people dance. And so, to me, the title, 

Soulrocker, is a person who lives from their 

heart and has compassion for all, and who 

has a tenacious enthusiasm for music, life 

and the planet. This record is dedicated to 

people who wake up every day and look at 

the news and go, “What happened to 

the world!” Every day there is another 

earthquake, another Paris attack, or 

another disaster ... it just feels so crazy. 

I want to make music that helps people to 

get through that. 

AYJ Why do you want to bring people 

together through music? 

MICHAEL When I was a kid I was inspired by 

music. I was adopted and I grew up in a 

family where, for a lot of my childhood, I 

didn’t really feel like I belonged. Music was 

a way for me to see the world from the 

bedroom I was in. I would put on songs 

and it would transform me to other places 

and it activated my sense of justice and 

politics by listening to bands like The 

Clash or Bob Marley or The Beatles. When 

I started to go to concerts I started to feel 

a sense of belonging. I’d go to a place and 

I’d be around thousands of strangers in a 

nightclub and suddenly we’d feel this 

sense of unity and sense of people coming 

together around shared values. I’d love the 

values of people saying, “I have something 

to say so I’m just going to pick up the 

guitar and I’m going to turn it up as loud 

as I can and I’m going to learn three 

chords and I’m going to shout out what 

I have to say.” It’s that experience of 

shared values that makes me want to 

bring people together through music. 

AYJ The theme of your album is “to serve 

the greater good and give something back”. 

This sounds like a powerful concept. What 

does it mean to you? 

MICHAEL My wife, Sara, and I have an 

expression in our house which is: “Be 

your best, serve the greater good, and 

rock out wherever you are.” What that 

means to us is to always keep seeking 

something that makes you find your 

‘growing edge’. It might be cliff diving, 

yoga, or something new that challenges 

you. And to serve the greater good means 

taking whatever it is that you’ve learned 

about yourself - the skills that you’ve 

amassed - and giving that back to the 

world. 

The final part of it is to rock out which 

means to never lose that enthusiasm for 

life. Always approach life in the same way 

you did with the very first rock concert 

you went to and live it in its fullness. 

There’s an expression we hear a lot today 

about ‘health and wellness’. But I think 

there’s a third part of that which is health, 

wellness and wholeness, and wholeness 

is that feeling you get when you plug 

yourself in to the world and you are 

PHOTO: TRACI WALLACE

giving something of yourself back to the 

world or back to the community or your 

family. 

That sense of giving is what gives us a 

feeling of purpose … if there’s some hours 

that we can find in a week so that we can 

give back to the greater good, then we feel 

that sense of wholeness. 

AYJ How can music help people who are 

suffering and how is it a healer, spiritually 

and politically? 

MICHAEL Music opens the window to our 

soul. Sometimes we have these emotions 

that are locked up inside us that we didn’t 

even realise were there, and we’re feeling 

all this pain and anger and stress and 

frustration and then we go out and we 

dance and we let it all go. Or we’re sitting in 

our car alone and we hear a song come on 

the radio and we break into tears and we 

cry and cry and we just let it all out. 

And that is the power of music. It touches 

a core belief, our deepest most honest 

belief, and that is what moves people to 

want to create a different world … whether 

it’s through politics or entrepreneurship 

and starting a new business that’s doing 

great things or reaching out to someone in 

your family who is sick. It’s the thing that 

gives us the fuel to keep going, that lights 

the fire. 

AYJ What is your yoga practice like? 

MICHAEL I started practicing yoga in 2001, 

right after the September 11 attacks 

occurred. I started on September 12; 

that was my first yoga class. From that 

time, yoga has become a part of my life. 

The reason I go to my mat every day is 

because it’s like I’m remixing my life. 

If I’m frustrated, tired, or anxious, I get on 

my mat and I hear all these voices in my 

head going, “You’re not good enough, you 

haven’t tried hard enough, you didn’t work 

enough today …” and slowly I start to quiet 

those voices and I get into my body. 

I stretch and I pull and I bend my body. By 

the time I’m done, it’s like hitting the reset 

button for me. I get off my mat and I have 

that yoga glow, and you really feel it. You 

never walk away from yoga saying, “Oh, I 

wish I hadn’t done that. No-one has ever 

said that in the history of yoga!” 

I founded a yoga hotel in Bali, Soulshine 

Bali, and that’s why I did it because I want 

people to have that feeling of the remix of 

their life. It’s like one day life is going a 

certain way and then you remix it and you 

come up with a cooler beat for it and a 

different way of experiencing it and you 

leave feeling that sense of renewal. 

AYJ Can yoga help us have some hope when 

the world does seem so crazy? 

MICHAEL Yoga has its set of values that 

include non-judgement towards yourself 

and others, non-violence, giving back, and 

challenging yourself, and the sweetness of 

getting to your growing edge and growing 

from taking yourself to that new place, 

every day. I see yoga as becoming really like 

a powerful energy that’s moving in the 

world and changing people’s lives and 

making people feel differently about their 

connection to the world. I see it as a really 

positive force in the 

world today. 

Michael Franti and 

Spearhead’s new 

album, Soulrocker, 

is out now. For more 

details about Soulshine 

Bali yoga retreat, check www.soulshinebali.com

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om 

MAN 

PHOTO: VSANANDHAKRISHNA/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM 

YOGA MAT BAGS 

To ensure your masculinity 

needs are taken care of when 

you head to your next yoga 

class, get your big burley hands 

on a Brogamat mat bag. 

Designed with dudes in 

mind (but fun for ladies 

too) you can choose from 

a bunch of different styles, 

including Burrito, Downward 

Facing Log and Lumberjack. 

Check them out at 

www.brogamats.com 

OMman 

For the boys! 

PATRICK BEACH’S ARM BALANCING SECRETS 

If you’re a PB fan, you’ll be familiar with his freak-of-nature style arm balancing. It’s seriously 

impressive! And he’s coming back to Aus this year to share his skills. We caught up with 

Patrick on his last Aussie tour and picked his brain for his arm balancing tips. “It’s all about 

playing the forwards and backwards in your body and balancing the effort and ease. 

Wherever your balance is placed – that’s where your effort is. Wherever the least point of 

contact is, is where your ease is. You should aim to find the easiest line possible between 

this effort and ease.” It’s not all about the asana though, he says, “It’s not about perfecting 

a pose. Yoga is a system to help you become a more conscious, spiritual, mindful person.” 

Check out Patrick’s teaching schedule at www.patrickandcarling.com/teachingschedule 

WHY DON’T MORE 

MEN PRACTICE YOGA? 

According to a 2012 study, only 20% of 

yoga practitioners in Australia are men. 

Perhaps that’s changed in the last few 

years, but look around any yoga class and 

you’ll notice the majority of students are 

still women. Interesting, given that once 

upon a time only men were allowed to 

practice and teach. The vibe and décor 

of most studios these days though is 

feminine, and boys often rock up to their 

first yoga class shyly admitting to their 

lack of flexibility. We scoured the web, 

connected with our online community and 

chatted with some of our teacher friends 

to come up with the most common 

reasons men don’t get on their mat: 

• The old “I’m not flexible enough.” 

We’ve heard it a million times! 

• The media/marketing portrays yoga 

as an activity for women, and so men 

naturally think it’s a women’s domain 

• It’s not enough of a workout 

• It’s too hippie/New Age 

Some of our favourite quotes 

from the conversation – 

“A lot of guys ‘exercise’ for the aesthetic 

benefits it provides. They perceive yoga 

as not providing these benefits, so 

they think what’s the point? Being a 

predominantly female activity in the west, 

they consider it to be non-masculine.” 

– Luke Ostrowski, Melbourne 

“Men attempt a yoga class led by usually 

a female teacher with a female, flexible 

body. When this teacher performs all these 

postures with ease it is disheartening for 

a man. Perfect example: Down dog. A 

male’s weight is in the shoulders so it is 

a heavier posture and harder to sustain 

especially if they lack mobility which is 

common.” – Kaleb Kennedy, Gold Coast 

But the stereotypes are changing as more 

and more men see the benefits of yoga 

and the myths are debunked (not enough 

of a workout? Don’t think so!). We can 

see the trend turning around as more 

and more men join in to experience the 

benefits of yoga and more classes are 

catered to men, and we’re stoked! 


33

Om 

PARENTING 

Master Minds 

Help children develop mental calm and 

mindful happiness 

WHETHER we are looking at creating or 

improving focus, concentration, happiness, 

self-calming or discipline, the one essential 

ingredient that is critical for all of these 

practices is awareness … awareness that 

can be developed through a practice of 

mindfulness. 

Awareness gives us choice, because 

without awareness we run on autopilot. 

Have you ever said something because of a 

negative thought or emotion and later 

wished you hadn’t? 

We all have! That’s reacting on autopilot. 

Awareness allows us a space between the 

thought and reaction, so we have full 

control of our being and interactions. 

Developing this ability can make the 

biggest difference in the lives of children 

and teens. How would your teenage years 

have been impacted if you didn’t get so 

caught up in your thoughts and emotions? 

By Loraine Rushton 

Can you imagine the difference it would 

have made if you had learnt that you are 

not your thoughts and, instead, thoughts 

are something you just have. 

We can do this for our children and 

teens and create a world of exciting new 

possibilities where they take control and 

responsibility for their minds and learn 

how to stay in a place of calm, centred, 

happiness. 

1. Sense awareness 

One of the best ways for children and teens 

to access mindfulness is through the senses. 

Ask them to lie down or sit comfortably 

as you guide them on a journey through the 

body. Ask them to close their eyes and 

become aware of their breath. Then say, 

“Become aware of any feeling on your skin, 

such as the air or the softness of your 

clothes.” Next ask them to become aware 

of any fragrances they can smell. Then say, 

“Become aware of any tastes in your 

mouth.” Lastly, ask them to become aware 

of any sounds they can hear. 

This exercise can lead to mindful 

calm and stillness in just a few 

minutes. It’s helpful at the end of 

the day for settling thoughts and 

relaxing the mind for bedtime. 

2. The ringing bell 

The purpose of the exercise is to bring 

the focus to one point and clear the mind. 

Tell your child or class that you are going 

to ring a bell or Tibetan bowl and they 

are to close their eyes and listen carefully 

until the sound disappears. To make this 

exercise more powerful, ask them to sit 

still and listen to the silence afterwards. 

This technique is so effective that we use 

it in many of our children’s yoga classes 

as a classroom management technique. 

3. The stickies game 

Create a game with one of your friends 

or with your child in which you each have 

a stack of notes (such as Post-it notes) 

and in your daily interactions, whenever 

you notice someone say something 

negative out of a reaction, you write it 

on the note and hand it to them. 

The goal of the game is to reduce the 

amount of notes you receive on a daily 

basis. 

4. Distract the mind 

Give children something to focus on that 

displaces a negative thought. This will help 

them to be present in the moment, as we 

can only think of one thing at a time. 

This can even work in a very simple way. 

One student I worked with who had autism 

refused to balance in Tree Pose, saying, 

“I can’t, I can’t.” I held her arms high and 

helped her to balance repeating back, 

“Say, I can, I can.” It took a couple of 

minutes for her to switch the thought in 

her head and repeat the words, “I can.” 

As soon as she did, I let go of her hands 

and she held her first ever balance. 


34 

5. Movement with balance 

and breath 

I’ve found that one of the best ways 

to quiet the mind and bring children 

into the moment is by using movement 

that focuses on balance and breath. 

This is particularly effective when 

working with groups of teenage boys. 

This can be as simple as balancing on 

the toes with the arms overhead: 

breathing in as they lift and exhaling as 

they lower. 

Keep in mind that mindfulness is not 

a destination, it’s an ongoing journey 

of personal development. The greatest 

impact can be seen over time. Be mindful, 

maintain your practice, and enjoy the 

results. 

PHOTO: ANTONIOGUILLEM/ ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

THE BEST CHILDREN’S 

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The privilege and opportunity of touching the lives and making a difference for children 

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AT THIS COURSE YOU WILL LEARN: 

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om 

EAT WELL 

Better burgers 

Expand your patty repertoire with super-simple recipes 

full of flavour and good-for-you ingredients. 

By Jennifer Iserloh 


36 

PESCATARIAN 

Tangy salmon burger 

SERVES 4 

Tasty, fibre-rich chia seeds help bind this 

heart-healthy burger together. 

8 spring onions, trimmed, chopped 

¼ cup chia seeds 

500g skinless, boneless salmon, 

cut into 2cm chunks 

2 tbsp yellow or white miso paste 

¼ tsp ground cayenne or paprika 

4 whole-wheat buns, toasted 

1 cup baby spinach 

VEGETARIAN 

300g of mushrooms, such as button 

trimmed, quartered 

2 tbsp chopped chipotle in adobo 

[Note: Chipotle in adobo is a rich, 

smoky, spicy Mexican sauce (adobo) of 

smoke-dried, ripe jalapeno chillies (chipotle), 

usually found in cans. You can substitute 

with a small fresh chilli and a splash of 

Worcestershire sauce.] 

½ tsp garlic salt 

1 cup dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs 

1 egg 

4 slices cheddar 

4 whole-wheat English muffins 

1 medium tomato, thinly sliced 

In a food processor, pulse spring onions 

and chia seeds. Add salmon, miso, and 

cayenne; pulse four to five times, until 

finely chopped. Shape salmon mixture into 

4 patties. 

On a grill over medium-high heat, cook 

burgers, flipping once, until cooked through 

and starting to brown, 6–8 minutes. 

Transfer burgers to buns and top with 

spinach; serve. 

NUTRITIONAL INFO 28 calories per serving, 9 

g fat (2 g saturated), 32 g carbs, 9 g fiber, 30 g 

protein, 567 mg sodium 

Mushroom-cheddar chipotle burger 

SERVES 4 

Canned chipotle in adobo gives an otherwise plain mushroom burger a nice kick! 

In a food processor, pulse mushrooms, 

chipotle, and garlic salt until mushrooms 

are chopped. In a bowl, mix mushroom 

mixture, breadcrumbs, and egg until 

combined. Form into 4 patties. 

On a hotplate over medium-high heat, 

cook burgers, flipping once, until patties 

begin to brown, 5–7 minutes. Top each 

burger with cheese and cook until cheese 

melts, 1–2 minutes. Transfer burgers to English 

muffins and top with tomato slices; serve. 

NUTRITIONAL INFO 65 calories per serving,13 

g fat (6 g saturated), 46 g carbs, 8 g fibre, 

20 g protein, 649 mg sodium 

VEGAN 

Beet burger with 

orange-avocado salsa 

SERVES 4 

Nut butter adds a savoury, salty element 

and supplies protein and essential 

minerals like magnesium and iron. 

1 Haas avocado, diced 

1 orange, chopped 

1 cup of chopped coriander 

500g beetroot (about 3 medium beetroots), 

peeled, quartered 

1 cup old-fashioned oats 

¼ cup almond or peanut butter 

½ tsp garlic salt 

4 vegan hamburger buns 

In a bowl, mix together avocado, orange, 

and ¼ cup coriander to make the salsa. 

In a food processor, shred beetroot. Add 

oats, nut butter, garlic salt, and remaining 

¾ cup coriander; pulse until mixture is thick 

and sticky. Form into 4 patties. 

On a hotplate over medium-high heat, cook 

burgers, flipping once, until patties begin to 

brown, 6–8 minutes. Transfer burgers to buns. 

Top with avocado salsa and serve. 

NUTRITIONAL INFO 477 calories per serving, 

19 g fat (2 g saturated), 67 g carbs, 16 g fibre, 

18 g protein, 392 mg sodium 

PHOTOS: JENNIFER OLSON; FOOD STYLIST: BETH HAWKINS; PROP STYLIST: ERICA MCNEISH

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37

Peak 

PERFORMANCE 

Yoga superstar and founder of 

Power Living, Duncan Peak, talks 

to Jessica Humphries about his rise 

to success, finding the true meaning 

of yoga, and keeping it real. 


38 

LETS BE HONEST Duncan Peak is kind of a big deal. If you haven’t 

practiced at one of his Power Living studios, you’ve likely encountered 

him in the social media realm or heard his name uttered in a yoga class. 

But he’s not just a yoga-lebrity. He’s got a great story too. One that’s 

hard to condense because not only is it a story of finding the true 

meaning of yoga and receiving yogic benefits, but it’s a story of 

unparalleled business success in the yoga industry due to the 

development and growth of Power Living. Duncan has become an 

unintentional icon in the yoga world, inspiring thousands of students 

to delve deeper into both their physical and spiritual practice. 

Duncan lives in Byron Bay and spends his days surfing, socialising, 

yoga-ing and running a successful business. And he’s nice! I’ve been 

working in the yoga world for a while now, and I’ve only ever heard 

great things about this guy. Now, I understand why. There’s something 

about his ability to be present that makes you feel like you matter. I 

chatted with Duncan about where he came from, his passion for all 

things yoga, and how he feels about the ever-changing industry. 

Duncan, or Dunx as he’s affectionately known, started his yoga journey 

at 15 when he moved into his best friend’s house. He fondly remembers 

his friend’s dad – “a pretty eccentric fella” – who would chant and 

meditate regularly, as well as practice various styles of yoga. Dunx delved 

into the spiritual practice with his friend and father and fell in love with 

the deep peace he experienced, which was something he says that “really 

PHOTO: LEEROY TEHERA, LEEROYT.COM

helped me 

with the anger 

I had as a rebellious 

teenager”. Two years later, 

Dunx learned to put those teachings 

into practice when his friend devastatingly 

passed away in a car accident. Dunx says, 

“The meditations and yogic/Buddhist 

philosophies we were taught by his father 

became very important to me, and they were 

a way of dealing with the grief and unfairness 

I felt towards the loss of my best friend and 

the cruelty of the world.” Dunx says his 

physical practice didn’t begin until years later 

after an injury in the army motivated him to 

try Hatha Vinyasa. 

Beginning in his late teens, Dunx served 

as an officer in the army for six years. 

Because of the contrast between the two 

disciplines, he is often questioned as to 

why he joined the army. “They seem polar 

opposites,” he says. “In its volition it is, but 

the discipline for practicing yoga and being 

in the army are very similar … I joined the 

army because I was a very troubled 

teenager. Even though I had already been 

introduced to yoga, I was a confused young 

man who lacked direction.” And although 

Dunx’s reasons for joining were in reaction 

to his distress, he acknowledges the 

importance of this time of his life. “My 

he started 

giving them 

tips and private 

lessons. Eventually he hired a 

surf lifesaving club, and every 

Saturday morning his friends would come 

along with their donation, which Dunx 

passed on to charity. He says, “After that 

I started teaching at the only ‘power yoga’ 

studio in Sydney and helped to run it.” 

In 2004, Duncan started running Power 

Flow which quickly became the busiest 

studio in Australia. Soon after, Dunx 

purchased the business and renamed it 

Power Living. He was teaching up to 18 

classes a week while also working as a 

full-time business consultant. “I slept on 

the floor of the studio many a night, waiting 

to get up to teach the next morning before 

having to go to work. I felt plugged in, 

directed, a force was working through me 

and nothing was going to stop me teaching 

regardless of how hard I had to work. 

“My whole life changed. I 

now 

many 

festivals, yogi 

celebrities, diluted yet 

popular practices, and so much 

competition driven by people with only 

business goals. It’s now mainstream … yoga 

is to fitness as organic is to food. My attitude 

to it is to let it evolve but stay true to what I 

feel is a sincere practice in a modern 

world.”How does Dunx stay grounded and 

authentic in the modern world of yoga 

fame? “I didn’t really have a vision to be 

‘Mr Power Living’. It just happened because 

I wanted to teach transformational yoga 

because of the way it had really helped me. 

People who lose themselves in the yoga 

celebrity world are either very young or 

have lost touch with their practice. I’d 

whole life changed. I had ambitions and 

be lying if I didn’t say I know this from 

felt for the first time in my life that I 

had ambitions and felt for 

experience. There have been times when 

could make something of myself.” the first time in my life that I lost my practice and got lost in fame, 

At 24, Duncan sustained a lifethreatening 

illness – a ruptured ulcer that 

success. But my practice motivation was 

fortune and the seductive comfort of 

I could make something of 

occurred during an army exercise which myself.” 

always to be at inner peace, so I always 

had been designed to assess his leadership 

skills under high levels of stress. As a 

result, he was medically discharged from 

the army and went on to work as a business 

consultant. He remembers this time fondly 

as he was able to explore the leadership 

qualities that continue to come so naturally 

to him. However, by the time he had turned 

26, Duncan decided to follow his heart and 

set off on a two-year travelling stint 

through South America, Europe, and India. 

It was during this time that he was able to 

reconnect with his true self – the young boy 

who had discovered yoga all those years ago. 

I’m curious about how one of Australia’s 

largest and most successful yoga businesses 

came to be. Dunx tells me he was working 

through the Ashtanga series quite seriously 

I wanted to share yoga’s joy with 

everyone,” he says. Since then, Power Living 

has thrived. It has nine owners and studios, 

employs 130 yoga teachers and has 

graduated more than 1000 teachers from its 

trainings. Dunx tells me, “The evolution of 

the studios was really an organic process, 

as junior teachers of mine wanted to make 

careers out of yoga and the industry allowed 

this to happen.” 

Dunx has seen great transformation in 

the yoga industry since he began practicing. 

He says, “I think the longer you’re in the 

yoga bubble, the harder it is to let it 

naturally morph into something bigger. 

Sometimes I get lost in how it was and 

should be rather than how it is. So, I try 

come back to that. When it comes down 

to it, we (the Power Living crew) realise 

our success is a divine essence working 

through us, not just us, as individuals, 

being amazing.” 

Dunx says it’s not always easy feeling 

the expectations of the yoga world upon 

you. “I struggled with myself for years as 

the stereotype of what a yogi should be 

was thrust upon me. Now I just accept 

who I am and that’s it.” 

What advice would Dunx give to his 

beginner yogi self? “Do it all again the 

same way. Yoga comes from your heart. 

Be yourself, honour tradition, and create 

from that. There is so much wisdom 

to learn. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You 

need no-one’s permission to be who you 

at the time, and when friends showed interest to just observe impartially and see the truly are, but remember everybody else 

in why he was so strong, flexible and clear, positives of the industry growing. There are shares that potential too.” 

39 

august/september 2016 yogajournal.com.au

Dedication, transformation, 


40 

ELATION 

Yogi Duncan Peak delves into the chaos of 

our consciousness in a bid to help us foster 

new behaviours, find clarity, and forge a 

path of flourishing spiritual progression. 

WE ALL SEEM TO BE on an endless search for 

transformation, but the real question is, do 

you have the clarity to know what habit, 

tendency or trait – yogis call it vasana – you 

are trying to change? Without clarity, 

transformation is a spiritual ghost. 

The modern yoga practice has seen so 

much evolution; some would argue it has 

even diluted the real message. Perhaps it 

has. Others would argue that the evolution 

of yoga has given rise to a large movement 

in consciousness … maybe so, too? The 

choice is yours to make, but when it comes 

to our own personal practice, what exactly 

are we trying to transform? 

We all know that pure physical 

transformation is limited in terms of 

spiritual progress, but can you do one 

without the other? We certainly can do the 

opposite – a vibrant mind but not so 

vibrant body – any dedicated meditator can 

attest to this. And there is a case that just a 

physical practice will change our minds. Is 

this true? Sure, it will make us happier for a 

bit, enjoying all those hormones buzzing 

around. But do we want to simply make a 

flawed character happier? Or do we want to 

address the cause? 

We spend a lot of time trying to change 

factors about ourselves such as, for 

example, our personality. We might move 

to a different city, change cars, get a new 

job, eat different food, listen to new music, 

dress differently, even study new topics and 

suddenly, we have a whole new persona! 

However, if you put that same person under 

pressure, then they will react in the same 

way as they would have before. Why? 

Because they have not effected their 

character. They may feel they have evolved 

because of the new life they have created 

around them, but mostly they have just 

avoided being triggered due to the 

distraction of their new adventures. They 

have still not actually dealt with the causes 

of any of their anguish. 

In yoga tradition it is said we have a 

predominate tendency for one of the three 

following vasanas (character traits or 

tendencies): lust, greed and anger. 

Commonly called the three gates to hell, we 

either have a tendency for lust, a tendency 

for greed, or for the most popular tendency 

which is anger. When we are not present, 

mindful, conscious and aware, we react on 

autopilot by playing out one of these 

tendencies or interchanging all of them at 

times in a gamut of behaviours. We try to 

suppress these traits, avoid and deny them, 

but it’s finding clarity about this character 

trait that’s so important to spiritual 

progress, instead of adopting a head-inthe-sand 

attitude. So it has to be studied! 

It’s not the personality we are trying to 

change. Let’s think about it: there is no 

ideal spiritual personality. That is a 

contradiction in words. It’s the self we are 

trying to rid ourselves of, isn’t it? No self, 

no problem, as the Chinese proverb says. 

It’s our character that we need to 

transform, our natural tendencies when we 

are not present or conscious. In some areas 

of life, you already act from love 

unconsciously, so why not always? Well, it’s 

simple: vasanas (engrained character traits) 

possibly form over lifetimes. So think about 

now. Imagine the amount of work that it is 

going to take to transform yourself; your 

character, and you, now understand the 

immensity and discipline it will take to 

practice true yoga. Suddenly doing a 

handstand sounds a lot easier – maybe 

that’s the reason for so much of its recent 

popularity! 

Are we of good character? First, we have 

to get to know our character. What are our 

dominant tendencies? How are they 

triggered? How do you behave towards 

things, what presses your buttons, and can 

you be conscious enough to begin to break 

down the karmic hold the dominant 

tendencies have deep within you? 

PHOTO: LEEROY TEHERA, LEEROYT.COM

Yoga practice, ancient or recent is this: 

evolve your character so you have no more 

reactions or, at the very least, reduce the 

time spent in reactions, own your 

behaviour, and make good. Then the time 

spent outside that process is in love, in one, 

in awe with consciousness. Why? Because 

you are putting into action the simple truth: 

that we are not our minds, our behaviours, 

or our past. You detach from your identity, 

you are learning from your behaviour from 

the point of view of the impartial witness; 

this is what yogis call Shakshin. Now, that’s 

a yoga practice! 

I can’t implore you enough to create a 

daily mindfulness practice beyond asana. I 

love asana … it’s awesome. But yoga needs 

to be good in the mind, not just the body. 

Create space so you can see yourself, and be 

honest about it as there can be darkness 

lurking, but we must bring the light of 

consciousness to it. This is the process of 

clarity which enables us to begin to 

transform. 

So how do you achieve or discover 

clarity? How do you apply this and how do 

you transform tendencies that don’t serve 

you anymore? How can you do this in a real 

and practical sense? 

Here’s a few ideas for how to respond when something 

triggers you or creates a stress stimulus (such as when you’re 

in an argument, or you’re late or embarrassed): 

1. Notice the uncomfortable and/or heating up energy that fills your subtle body. This is 

so important. Be aware that you are now not present, you have lost your natural inner 

peace and calm. It will be a familiar energy but be comfortable with it. 

2. Admit you have been triggered. You now need to be careful and practice your 

yoga. A young energy is in charge and you need a self-aware adult. 

3. Observe the tendencies towards lust, greed and/or anger, or any other form it takes. 

What is it you want to do or say and how do you want to react? 

4. Take a conscious breath, remind yourself you are not the behaviour, and you do not 

have to react in that habit. 

5. Try a new behaviour that will serve you better in that moment or observe the process 

with more clarity each time until you are ready for that last step. 

Slowly this approach will give you ample clarity to situations, people and events that you 

choose to be triggered by: you will notice when you literally give your power away. No one 

triggers you, you choose to be triggered, your inner state is your responsibility – don’t give 

that away! When you have that clarity of a trigger and tendencies that don’t serve you, you 

can be super careful, aware and mindful, and eventually, a new behaviour emerges. 

This is what creates the transformation … the clarity that you know you are about to or you 

have just acted out a tendency unconsciously. Once you’re there, it’s awesome! Be excited 

because transformation is around the corner. Then be an artist and create the behaviours 

you know are worthy of your expression. You got this gang! Practice makes perfect! 

See you on the mat, YogiDunx 

“Create space so you can see yourself, and be honest 

about it as there can be darkness lurking, but we 

must bring the light of consciousness to it. This is 

the process of clarity which enables us to begin to 

transform.” 


41

Stuff 

we 

Home 

1. Integrity Candles – Lanterns 

These beautiful wax lanterns (no they 

don’t melt!) bring so much ambiance 

to any environment – decorate your 

room, take them camping or use to 

add a little romance to your event. 

Can be custom made. From $79 

www.integritycandles.com.au 

1 

Our favourite yoga goodies 

on and off the mat! 

2. Yummi Yogi Cookie Cutters 

So much fun! Get your domestic 

goddess on and impress the kids or 

friends with these super cute cookie 

cutters in the shape of yoga poses. 

$55 for a set or $12 each 

www.yummiyogi.com 


42 

Body 

3. Ila Spa Bath Oil For Glowing Radiance 

This rose otto, tuberose and vetivert 

milk bath smells like heaven and turns 

an ordinary bath into a transcendent spa 

experience. $70 www.iamnaturalstore.com.au 

4. Skinmade Chest Balm 

This little jar of goodness is perfect for keeping 

the whole family breathing easy in winter. 

Can be used topically or in an oil burner. 

$16 www.skinmade.com.au 

3 

4 

2 

PHOTO: KNATICKA/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

8 

5 

Treats 

5. Ayurvedic Herbal Tonics 

6 

These Ayur Botanicals Tonic Infusions are 

oh so yummy and designed to bring clarity 

back to your system – Yoga for your gut. 

From $34 or $3.90 for a sample sachet. 

www.ayurbotanicals.com.au 

9 

6. Cleanse Inner Beauty Powder 

This super greens plus blend is full of goodness 

and is perfect to add to your daily smoothie or use 

during cleansing. It also tastes yum! $59.95 

www.thebeautychef.com 

Accessories 

10. La Vie Boheme 

The Bondi Hot Towel has a rubber bottom 

so works as a mat especially for restorative 

(because of the soft, yummy feel) or 

hot yoga (no slipping hands). 

$111 www.laviebohemeyoga.com 

7 

11 

Style 

7. Nimble Activewear 

We’re loving this stylish active 

wear from Nimble. Designed in 

Bondi with the healthy, active 

yogi in mind. On the Go tights $89 

and Stella Mesh Crop $59. 

www.nimbleactivewear.com 

8. Inner Fire Leggings 

These Nomad Leggings are inspired by the free 

spirited gypsy and are flattering and flexible 

for your practice. $123 

www.myinnerfire.com 

11. EMPIND Alignment Mat 

What will they think of next? These mats are 

perfect for beginners or anyone wanting a 

little alignment nudge in their practice. 

$41.80 www.empind.com.au 

12.Neti pots 

Neti pots are used for nasal irrigation or nasal 

lavage, a personal hygiene practice in which the 

nasal cavity is flushed out. It has been practiced for 

centuries in India as one of the disciplines of yoga. 

Available at selected health food shops and online 

for $39. www.southerncrosspottery.com.au 

12 

10 

9. Yoga-Alls 

Made consciously in Bali and designed by 

Aussie kundalini teacher, these 

cute Yoga-Alls by White Yoga are 

made with natural cotton. $90 

www.whiteyoga.com.au 


43


PHOTO: MARIKE KNIGHT/SARAH ENTICKNAP 

44

Cultivate awareness and live your life fully, finding happiness and serenity 

on your journey. We examine how meditation can help us connect 

compassionately with ourselves, others, and the world around us. 

By Louise Shannon 


45


46 

TAKE A DEEP BREATH, I tell myself. You can 

do this. Within 48 hours of returning to 

Australia from a three-year backpacking 

adventure, I had embarked on a retreat at a 

gonpa in northern NSW with my mother 

and three close friends. We had a lot to 

catch up on and this was a four-day silent 

mission of mindfulness. I adopted my 

sitting position, adjusted my cushion, and 

thought obsessively about itching my nose. 

Is this really the best idea for my first catch-up 

with much-missed loved ones? 

As it turns out, it was the perfect idea. It 

was not hard to make peace with my 

restricted speaking environment, especially 

when surrounded by friendship and love 

embodied as four graceful and generous 

souls. I continued to sit during physical 

comfort and discomfort, and I was 

supported through my mental challenges by 

the sheer presence of others. 

Marike Knight, founder of Melbournebased 

Cool Karma Collected, says going on 

retreat with others can be a deeply 

connecting experience as so much of 

mindfulness is about feeling a deeper 

connection with all of humanity. “We 

realise our problems aren’t personal. 

Everyone experiences the crazy mind. 

Everyone’s crazy! Everyone has doubts and 

fears.” 

Marike runs mindfulness and yoga 

courses, retreats and classes and, when we 

speak, she has just returned from two 

retreats – one at Aro Ha, New Zealand, and 

one in Daylesford, Victoria, where she 

meditated in silence with 45 others. “You’re 

alone in it because it’s so personal but you’re 

never lonely because you’re in it together 

and experiencing it together.” 

I remember myself, wrapped in a 

sumptuous, woollen shawl, my friends and 

other yogis sitting cross-legged, gazes low, 

around me. Together we hear the noises of 

nature, the occasional creaking of timber 

from the rafters, and the sound of winter 

rain blowing through the hills. But we 

experience our own inner worlds, different 

turmoils and various triggers and remedies 

to our vast array of emotions. I feel a bond 

with my fellow meditators. I am seeking 

guidance for my thoughts, while the silent 

companionship of others provides an 

external cocoon of support. 

I ask Marike, a former lawyer who 

knows the effects of long hours and too 

much stress, why mindfulness is important. 

“We just don’t have an off button anymore,” 

she says. “We’re such a 24/7 society and 

because of the ferociousness of our lives, it’s 

a desperate need. Through mindful-based 

stress reduction, I’m teaching people how 

to manage their life better. People want to 

be able to switch off and they want to turn 

their minds off and the reality is that’s 

difficult to do. Mindfulness is not 

something you can enforce on people; they 

have to be willing because it takes courage 

to stop and just be.” 

Marike says it can be overwhelming 

knowing we can’t control life’s big events, 

like if we’ll have children, the fate of our 

loved ones, or when we’re going to die. 

Through her role as a facilitator, she aims 

to create safe spaces for people “to dip a toe 

into their own inner experience, no matter 

how scary that might be”. 

She says mindfulness “feels like a space 

that’s cradled by something bigger” and it’s 

essential we listen to ourselves. We 

shouldn’t over-strive and it helps to 

remember that sometimes we don’t need to 

use 100% of our energy, for example, during 

a yoga class … 50% might be enough. “I’ve 

PHOTO: MIHAILOMILOVANOVIC/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM;

struggled with this myself. I broke my 

elbow in handstand. I’ve had lots of 

messages from the universe telling me to sit 

and stop striving.” 

To begin a mindfulness practice, we’re 

encouraged to build our muscle of 

awareness, or as Marike describes, “It’s 

building the bicep muscle in the brain.” 

Begin with breath awareness. Then, your 

brain might notice something, like a tree. 

Experience the breath. Your mind might 

“Shakti says the practice also involves noticing 

when judgement arises which provides objectivity 

and allows us to step back. “We feel lighter and 

happier and our nervous system calms.” 

wander back to the tree, and when you 

notice your mind has wandered, that’s 

mindfulness! You have cultivated 

awareness. Marike calls this the completion 

of one bicep curl. Next, return to your 

breath, your mind wanders again, you 

notice, and you bring your attention back 

to your breath. Two bicep curls. 

To transfer this “mind practice” 

into daily life, think about when you 

are talking with someone, and you become 

distracted. “You notice when your mind 

wanders or when you judge. A regular 

mindfulness practice helps you develop a 

greater strength of muscle in the brain to 

go, ‘Oh, come back and listen … listen to 

them, hear them.” 

A few days after we speak, Marike sends 

me Kent Nerburn’s poignant poem about a 

mindful New York taxi driver. I thank her, 

saying it has left me in tears and I am 

stopping to have a cup of tea. She writes 


47


48 

Michael Shaw 

back: “Enjoy your tea. As Thich Nhat Hanh 

says, ‘Drink your tea slowly and reverently, 

as if it is the axis on which the world Earth 

revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing 

toward the future.” 

Serenely, I sip my chai, inspired by 

Marike’s message and wondering if her 

kindness is what meditators are trying to 

convey when they discuss living 

authentically. Byron Bay’s Melli O’Brien, 

aka Mrs Mindfulness, believes mindfulness 

“Everyone can meditate 

because whatever comes is 

part of the meditation. 

You cannot get a 

meditation wrong.” 

is a “radical act of intelligence and love 

towards yourself and the planet” and 

authenticity is essential. “Living mindfully 

to me means living authentically,” Melli 

says. “When I say authentic, I mean being 

willing to be vulnerable and real with 

what’s going on for us with other human 

beings. It’s very intimate; everybody has a 

fear they’re not worthy or won’t be loved. 

Mindfulness opens a space where there’s a 

way of being in touch with who I am so that 

even when I have those fears, mostly I can 

still turn up as an authentic person. The 

preciousness of that is I live a life that’s true 

to me and when I connect with others, it’s a 

real connection. I really crave that; I think 

most of us do.” 

Melli incorporates plenty of yoga in her 

mindfulness teachings and she also 

specialises in immersion retreats. She is 

responsible for the internationally 

acclaimed Mindfulness Summit, a not-forprofit 

project that last year gathered more 

than 40 experts worldwide – including Jon 

Kabat-Zinn, Jack Kornfield, and Susan 

Albers – for a series of online interviews, 

teachings and practice sessions. So far, 

more than 250,000 people have taken part. 

I am curious. Melli’s life is overflowing 

with meditative devotion, so who or what 

inspired her? She explains that she used to 

listen to the elderly residents in the nursing 

home where she worked as they recollected 

what had really made them happy. “The 

message was that shuffling around the 

external circumstances of your life does not 

give you what you ultimately want, which is 

a lasting sense of fulfilment and wholeness. 

It can give you pleasure, but the core 

essence was that a life fully lived is a life 

where you realise the little moments aren’t 

little. There’s no such thing as a mundane 

moment. 

“Don’t spend your life waiting for the 

big thing to happen. Make the most of 

what’s here now because this is it, this is 

life, and it passes you by so fast, so don’t 

waste it. When some of the elderly people 

knew they were nearing death, they would 

say, ‘Oh, all the things I thought mattered, 

they don’t really matter. All that matters is 

being fully alive and being fully who you 

are.’ That was it.” 

Northern NSW mindfulness trainer, 

educator and yoga teacher Shakti Burke 

says a mindfulness approach will not 

appear magically, but setting daily 

intentions can help introduce mindfulness 

to your routine. Shakti teaches the three 

reliable anchors of mindfulness: body 

(bringing awareness into your body), breath 

(connecting with your breath) and senses 

(noticing immediately what is in front of 

you). These, she says, “provide a safe haven 

when we’re blown about by the wind of 

mindlessness”. 

She says one useful technique is to walk 

more mindfully. Another is to notice when 

your breath becomes short or you sense 

stress creeping in.“Use this as a trigger to 

slow and deepen your breath and start to 

relax your body. Each time you feel that 

trigger, then immediately slow the breath 

PHOTO: MICHAEL SHAW/ROMEO VIGLINO; (TOP RIGHT) SKAKTI BURKE NISHKAM POMROY; 

VALENTIN CASARSA/ /ISTOCKPHOTO.COM; (BOTTOM RIGHT) MARIKE KNIGHT/SARAH ENTICKNAP

and relax the body and make that a habitual 

reaction. Rather than fleeing from that 

stress, you’re welcoming it with the 

appropriate response, which is releasing 

the breath, maybe self-empathy, and 

relaxing the body.” 

Shakti says the practice also involves 

noticing when judgement arises which 

provides objectivity and allows us to step 

back. “We feel lighter and happier and our 

nervous system calms.” The importance of 

non-judgement, including not judging 

yourself, is paramount. Many of us would 

even default to judging our own practice of 

non-judgement. Mindfulness meditator and 

educator Michael Shaw says we put a lot of 

pressure on ourselves, but the reality is, 

“Everyone can meditate because whatever 

comes is part of the meditation. You cannot 

get a meditation wrong.” Michael was 

inspired when a former teacher told him, 

“You can’t always have the meditation you 

want, but you can always have the 

meditation you’re having.” 

Michael is the director of Inside Out Ed, 

an anti-bullying program based in 

Melbourne which uses mindfulness as its 

main tool, and he teaches mindfulness 

classes at Yoga by Nature in Brunswick 

Heads. He says the main obstacle to 

meditating is a belief we can’t do it. “What 

confronts us first in meditation is that in 

the act of closing our eyes and paying 

attention, we meet the contents of our 

minds and the sensations in our bodies 

without our usual and endless distractions. 

When we recognise how much is going on 

in our minds and bodies, we can feel 

confronted and perhaps even failed in our 

attempts. It’s important to be 

compassionate to this as part of the human 

condition.” 

Practicing compassion to ourselves and 

others is central to living mindfully. It’s also 

imperative when recognising the burden of 

our busy lives and therefore is a vital part of 

managing, maintaining and contributing to 

our overall health. Doctors worldwide are 

becoming more familiar with the 

techniques of mindfulness, not only as a 

prescription for their patients, but also as a 

method of self-care. Associate professor 

and senior lecturer at Monash University’s 

Department of General Practice, Dr Craig 

Hassed, is passionate about the benefits of 

mindfulness to our personal health and the 

health of our relationships. Dr Hassed, 

(who has written ample books on the 

subject including The Mindful Home, 

Mindfulness for Life, and New Frontiers in 

Medicine) urges doctors to use mindfulness 

to manage their own stress and teaches 

them how it can be a benefit clinically with 

patients, especially those suffering anxiety, 

depression, chronic pain, or coping with 

major illnesses. 

Outside the medical world, he believes 

society would prosper if more people 

meditated, were exposed to less screen 

time, and consciously enjoyed more meal 

times together. “The informal practice of 

mindfulness is being present and attentive 

while we’re going about our day-to-day life. 

There’s not a lot of point in being mindful 

for 5, 10, 20 or 40 minutes in the day and 

then being unmindful for the other 23 

hours.” 

Mindfulness, he explains, can also 

improve our relationships with those 

around us because we learn to be aware and 

notice as reactions arise inside us. “In that 

moment between the reaction and as it’s 

arising – before it’s expressed – that’s the 

window of opportunity that opens up if 

there’s awareness. We are then able to 

choose how we respond,” he says. 

“Today, we’re very removed from 

ourselves, not connected and easily 

distracted with who and where we are. 

We are always anticipating the future or 

regretting or retreating from a past … 

we’ve forgotten how to be present.” 

If we have forgotten how to be present – 

as a society or as calm-seeking individuals 

– what should we do? I pursue the help of 

Justine Buckley – Gestalt psychotherapist, 

counsellor, and expert in Buddhist 

psychology and mindfulness – from the 

Mudita Institute and Health Clinic in 

Mullumbimby. I arrive on her doorstep late, 

frazzled and mentally scattered. She 

suggests we meditate. Her voice, as it guides 

my messy inner ramblings towards some 

sense of unity, is gentle. She’s leading me 

easily from dispersed to gathered, 

disordered to unified … she is a very 

welcome mental chaperone. 

When we talk, Justine offers insights 

and wisdom in a way that makes so much 

sense. Emanating compassion, she says, 

“Our number one port of call is to be kind 

to ourselves.” Often, when we tap into that 

kindness, creating a safe space, all the 

“broken” parts of ourselves – just like 

distressed children – come forward. These 

are all our emotions that have been starved 

of a kind atmosphere and the rush of 

emotion can be overwhelming for a person 

because these feelings may have been 

suppressed for many years. Justine says that 

to help people who have faced trauma, 

difficult emotions can be looked at, 

mindfully, “bit by bit, as we would digest a 

big meal”. 

Shakti Burke 

Marike Knight 


49


50 

Justine Buckley 

Doko Hatchett – mindfulness teacher, 

zen master and founder of Mudita Institute 

– says mindfulness holds the key to the 

artful precision required to understand and 

refine our lives. “It is the art of 

remembering to hold something steady 

enough, for long enough, and in such a way, 

that causes concentration, insight, and 

wisdom to flourish.” Doko teaches that 

we’re not developing mindfulness and 

concentration to escape from life, we are 

developing concentration to ‘end’ our 

meeting of life unskillfully. 

Justine explains that mindfulness should 

be practiced in the good times to develop 

qualities which can then show up for you 

when you need them. Otherwise, she says, 

we’re at the mercy of habitual or 

conditioned responses and ways of 

thinking, reacting and behaving. 

“Essentially a mindfulness practice is 

not separate to our daily life; it’s embedded 

in our daily life. It is our daily life. It’s a 

practice of giving our best attention, 

bringing as much of our energy to this 

present moment that we can muster.” 

For example, if we feel anxious, she says, 

we can say “hello” to our anxiety and ask it 

how we can help, ask our anxiety what it 

needs. “We start by bringing non-panic to 

that situation. Anxiety is going to arise, you 

can’t help it … here it is … but I do have a 

choice about how to respond. If I’m busy 

and in my habitual flow, I have no 

awareness, and without awareness I have 

no choice in how I’m going to respond 

helpfully to that emotion. 

“Your mind is like a wild horse, and if 

it’s not trained, it does gallop and we’ve got 

no control over where it gallops and where 

our attention goes, and it will fall into 

habitual patterns … in Buddhism we would 

say anger or ignorance. Our attention is 

often obsessed with our problems and 

sorting our problems. With mindfulness, 

we’re calming things down, by stepping out 

of the problem-solution dynamic.” 

Justine describes the Buddhist term, 

kalyanamitta, which means “our lovely 

friends”. She says, “It’s important to be 

surrounded by lovely friends externally, but 

we also need to look after the good friends 

inside us. We’re used to bumping into the 

not-so-lovely friends inside us like our pain, 

our trauma, our anger, grief, aggression, 

impatience, and our unkindness to ourselves. 

“Through mindfulness, we’re wanting to 

water and pay attention to the good friends 

inside us such as goodwill to ourselves, our 

equanimity, and our willingness to give our 

best self to a situation, to help a situation, 

rather than asking why, which brings more 

stress and winds us tightly.” 

However mindfulness, Justine says, is 

not a cold mental exercise. “It’s a whole 

being’s response to this life we’ve been 

given. It’s very heartfelt. I have faith in 

mindfulness and self-compassion. It’s 

delightful to sit back and see, wow, if we do 

these things, if we put our attention to 

developing warmth and patience with 

ourselves, the world is transformed.” 

The day after my time with Justine, 

I practice early-morning yoga with 

two friends at the top of a rugged beach 

headland. As we move through our 

sequence, we see a pod of northbound 

humpback whales. Their presence is 

breathtaking and my mind is suspended 

in a moment of wonder. I feel calm. I 

breathe. Then my mental chatter returns. 

The whales are a tribe, faithfully shepherding 

their young on an annual pilgrimage. 

I notice my thoughts. I return to the 

breath. My mind is active yet not invasive. 

The whales are guiding each other to 

warmer waters. I see the majestic 

underbelly of one of the pod’s pathfinders 

as he breaches straight ahead. I notice, 

I breathe. I lap up the warmth of a 

magnificent sunrise and am intensely 

grateful for an inner sensation of 

awareness … of spiritual guidance … 

aglow in my heart. 

Further information: www.muditainstitute.com; www.coolkarmacollected.com; 

www.themindfulnesssummit.com; www.mrsmindfulness.com; 

www.joyfulmind.net.au; www.insideouted.com.au; www.yogabynature.com.au; 

www.futurelearn.com/courses/mindfulness-wellbeing-performance 

PHOTO: MARIKE KNIGHT/SARAH ENTICKNAP

MINDFUL inspirations … 

Tips for mindfulness from Gestalt psychotherapist and 

counsellor, Justine Buckley, of the Mudita Institute. 

1. Approach the study of your own being with the same sense of 

wonder you would approach any miracle of nature. 

2. Attitude is everything. Kind or unkind? Patient or impatient? 

Right now, how am I being as I go about this activity? 

Check in with yourself. 

3. When stressed or rushing, we don’t remember our wisdom. 

Know this and invest in the causes and conditions that help your 

subtle mental qualities return to awareness. Patiently turn your 

attention to slowing down, tending your stress kindly. All your good 

sense and sanity will come flooding back. 

4. Relax. Relax. Relax. Mindfulness is a practice that cultivates a certain 

skill set. Like learning any new set of skills, create a learning 

environment for yourself by remaining light-hearted. Have fun and 

loosen up. 

5. Stop and take two deep breaths between each email or text. 

Simple acts like this slow down the momentum of the mind 

that gathers throughout the day. 

6. Don’t make a fuss. Everything can be here. Start with an open-door 

policy for your feelings and thoughts. First, they exist. 

Now, how can we help? 

7. Feelings and actions rarely align. We are completely free to act 

regardless of how we are feeling. Get on with actions that matter. 

I can still offer someone a cup of tea even if I’m feeling down. 

That feeling can’t actually stop me doing one single thing! 

Justine Buckley’s favourite inspiration 

mindfulness quote! 

Your worst enemy cannot harm you 

As much as your own thoughts, unguarded. 

But once mastered, 

No one can help you as much, 

Not even your father or mother. - Gautama Buddha 

Mindfulness trainer and educator, Shakti Burke’s 

mindfulness tips. 

1. As soon as you feel or notice stress arising, deliberately slow and 

deepen your breath and relax your body. Make it a habit. 

2. When you feel pressured or panicky, immediately make contact with 

your body, your breath, or one of your senses. Body, breath, and 

senses are always in the present moment but the mind is not: 

this is where the trouble starts! 

3. Savour enjoyable experiences. Savouring will rebalance the brain’s 

negativity bias and deliver an enhanced impact of life’s special, 

and often ordinary, moments. 

4. The thoughts we don’t see are the ones that control us. Mindfulness 

is noticing whatever thoughts are occupying the mind. It requires we 

step back and witness our inner stories, gaining objectivity by knowing, 

“I am not my thoughts, and I don’t have to take them so seriously.” 

5. Think of the day as starting the night before. Ten minutes of calm 

breathing or body relaxing before bed will enhance a good night’s 

sleep, setting you up for a favourable next day. 

6. Our first moments of waking are a potent time. Maximise the 

opportunity by setting your positive intentions for the day. Enjoy the 

spacious mind of waking; avoid cluttering it with detail. Delay social 

media or emails for as long as possible. 


51


52 

Living 

YOUR 

dream 

BY CHRISTINE CHEN / TEACHING BY MARY BETH LARUE 

IMAGINE WADING THROUGH A RIVER choked 

with mud and fallen branches. For many of us, 

this is how reaching toward our life goals can 

feel. We get blocked by dead-end career paths, 

robotic daily routines, or too much drama in our 

relationships and we feel stranded, without the 

momentum to make change. That’s because we 

can’t flow toward the life we want until the 

debris is cleared. To demolish that dam you 

need creativity, the power to turn dormant, 

dusty thoughts and dreams into actions and 

realities, and to find clever solutions to 

relationships, work, and other life challenges. 

So how do you tap into that truly 

transformative, but often elusive, energy of 

creativity? Via the chakras, first mentioned 

thousands of years ago in sacred Hindu texts 

called the Upanishads. Described as 

interconnected nodes within the subtle-energy 

body, the chakras run along your spine and 

essentially map to your endocrine and hormonal 

systems. It is the second chakra, svadhisthana 

chakra, that holds the key to unlocking and 

harnessing the energy you need to be 

innovative and to make change. Energetically, 

the second chakra rules creativity, emotion, joy, 

enthusiasm, and sensuality. Physically, it’s 

located near your sacrum and hips, below your 

navel, and is said to be the seat of your 

reproductive organs. When svadhisthana energy 

is in balance – not too intense and not too laidback 

– you can access feelings of abundance, 

joy, and pleasure, and clear the way for creative 

energy to flow freely. 

However, when svadhisthana is blocked, by 

emotional trauma or chronic stress, for example, 

you are unable to connect with your passions. 

You also tend to try to control everything, and 

your life might lack zest. In addition to feeling like 

you’re in a rut, you might be unable to connect 

intimately or embrace deep self-love, explains 

Christiane Northrup, MD, a board-certified OB/ 

GYN and author of Women’s Bodies, Women’s 

Wisdom, a woman-centred book about the unity 

of mind, body, emotions, and spirit. Physically, 

the body can manifest these shackled emotions 

as unexplained lower-back pain, tight hips, 

sexual-organ dysfunction, and reproductive 

challenges. 

“If your second chakra is 

balanced, it is much easier to 

go into the world and create 

the life of your dreams.” 

Unfortunately, our modern, predominantly 

desk- and car-bound lives can exacerbate 

imbalance in the second chakra. We sit more – 

and for longer periods – than ever, resulting in 

restricted (and sometimes weakened) hips that 

inhibit the second chakra’s creative energies. To 

that end, one of the most accessible ways to 

undo these restrictions and find second-chakra 

balance is through asana. Yoga’s physical 

postures allow prana (or life-giving breath) to 

flow, activating and directing energy 

appropriately, according to yogic philosophy. 

“A hip-focused yoga practice can release 

discomfort and help you look at everything as an 

opportunity,” says Mary Beth LaRue, a Los 

Angeles-based yoga teacher and co-founder of 

Rock Your Bliss, a yoga-inspired coaching 

business that helps people craft creative lives. 

“Ultimately, hip-opening asanas teach you to 

loosen your grip on life and let things ebb and 

flow. And finding a sense of fluidity in your dayto-day 

life transforms all of your relationships, 

including your relationship with yourself.” 

Try the hip-opening sequence on the 

following pages, designed to help you spark 

svadhisthana and tap into your creative potential. 

“If your second chakra is balanced, it is much 

easier to go into the world and create the life of 

your dreams,” says Northrup. 

1. Virasana (Hero Pose), 

with a block 

Kneel and slide a block between 

your heels, so that the short edges of the 

block centre on your ankles; sit back and 

press the tops of your feet and toenails 

evenly into the ground. Now sit tall, 

lengthening the crown of your head 

upward. Make sure the block evenly 

supports both sitting bones. Place your 

hands on your thighs or over your belly 

as you roll your shoulder heads back, 

then make your belly round with each 

full inhale. After a few breaths, start to 

cultivate Ujjayi Pranayama (Victorious 

Breath) by sweeping your breath along 

the back of your throat as you inhale and 

exhale through the nose. Stay here for 

2 to 3 minutes. By beginning in this 

posture, you set a grounding tone for 

your practice. 

2. Hip circles 

From Virasana, walk your hands forward 

into Tabletop, with your knees under your 

hips, and your wrists under your shoulders. 

Make small circles with your hips, warming 

up the spine and inviting a sense of fluidity. 

As you grow warmer, you can expand your 

circles to the point of melting all the way 

back into Balasana (Child’s Pose) for a few 

breaths. Spend at least 1 minute circling in 

each direction. When you have finished, lift 

your hips back into Adho Mukha Svanasana 

(Downward-Facing Dog Pose). 

3. Anjaneyasana 

(Low Lunge) 

From Down Dog, step your right foot 

toward your right thumb tip and set your 

back knee on the mat. Press the top of your 

foot firmly into the mat as you lengthen 

your tailbone toward your mat and draw 

your lower belly in. Make sure your front 

knee doesn’t drift past your front ankle. 

Extend your arms alongside your ears. 

Interlace all but your index fingers, and 

press up through your palms, drawing your 

shoulders away from your ears. Bring your 

drishti, or gaze, up as you lift from your 

sternum and breathe underneath your 

collarbones. Firmly draw your hips in 

toward your midline as you grow tall 

through the sides of your waist and up 

through your index fingers. Hold for 1 

minute. 

PHOTOGRAPHY: LAURA AUSTIN

1 

2 

3 

OPEN UP TO possibilities 

When the second chakra is balanced, you 

can meet challenges with curiosity and 

playfulness, rather than letting your emotions 

carry you away or, alternatively, experiencing 

a knee-jerk reaction of shutting down or 

becoming defensive. Because most of us 

suffer from tight hips, this practice focuses 

on opening the physical seat of the second 

chakra. LaRue warns that a hip-opening 

practice can make us feel vulnerable. If that 

applies to you, bring your awareness to your 

breath to find a grounding sense of stability as 

you practice. 

With the following 11 poses, LaRue creates a 

safe space for you to step into your potential. 

“Pay attention as you move through this 

sequence to see where you encounter 

resistance, then use your breath to soften 

that resistance,” says LaRue. Find a 

distraction-free space outdoors or in your 

home and set an intention for your practice, 

something that either reminds you of your 

life goals or inspires you to reach for them. 

Encourage yourself to move creatively or 

intuitively, which may bring about a more 

open-minded way of being. Then, see how this 

sense of fluidity travels with you off the mat. 


53

4. Ardha Hanumanasana 

(Half Monkey god Pose, a.k.a. Half Splits) 

From Low Lunge, lower your hands to either side of your right foot and shift back, straightening your 

right leg and flexing your right foot. Lengthen your heart forward on the inhale and fold on the 

exhale; if you feel your lower back rounding during this action, slide blocks underneath your palms 

or tent your fingertips. Move with the breath, playing with a wavelike movement of the upper body 

for 10 to 12 breaths. Then exhale to press back to Down Dog, and take Low Lunge and Half Splits on 

the left side. Finish in Down Dog. 


54 

4 

MODEL: MARY BETH LARUE; STYLIST: ASHLEY TURNER/HAZEL & PINE; HAIR/MAKEUP: MICHELLE HODNETT; T OP: ATHLETA; BRA: LULULEMON; 

BOTTOMS: MANDUKA; TRIANGLE NECKLACE: THE NESHAMA PROJECT; MOON NECKLACE: SHAKTI JEWELRY; ALL OTHER JEWELRY; MODEL’S OWN

5 

6 

5. Utkata Konasana (Goddess Pose) 

From Down Dog, come to standing and bring your feet one leg’s 

distance apart; spin your legs and toes out about 45 degrees. Bend 

your knees deeply to create a 90-degree angle between your quads 

and shins, and press your knees open so they align directly with the 

centre of your feet. Draw your lower belly in and your tailbone 

down. Position your torso right over your pelvis as you reach the 

crown of your head toward the sky. Place your palms together at 

your heart in Anjali Mudra (Salutation Seal). Try to hold this posture 

for 1 minute; while you breathe here, find organic movement as you 

shift slightly from side to side, or even forward and back, grounding 

through your heels and toes. 

6. Virabhadrasana II (Warrior Pose II) 

From Goddess, turn your hips to the right as you spin your back 

heel and plant it flat on the mat, parallel to the short edge of your 

mat or with left toes turned in just slightly. Line up your front heel 

with the arch of your back foot. Extend evenly through both arms 

and hands. Direct your gaze over your right middle finger.Move your 

right knee directly over your right ankle, aligning your knee in the 

direction of your second and third toes. Breathe for 6 to 8 full cycles. 

As you lunge forward in this powerful standing posture, remain 

receptive to all that’s occurring within you. Allow sensations, 

thoughts, and emotions to move through you with ease by simply 

reminding yourself that each experience is impermanent. 

7. Viparita Virabhadrasana 

(Reverse Warrior Pose) 

Keep your legs just as they are in Warrior II, but flip your right palm 

up and begin to stretch back, reversing your Warrior as you slide 

your left hand down your back leg. Open into a deep sidebend. 

Aim for a 90-degree angle between your right shin and quad, 

working your thigh toward parallel with your mat. At the same 

time, create a softer shape through your upper body. Let go of the 

idea that this needs to a be a ‘perfect’ posture and instead feel into 

the shape, making any needed intuitive or creative adjustments. 

Hold for 6 to 8 breaths. Come back to Goddess, then repeat Warrior 

II and Reverse Warrior on the left side. Finish in Goddess. 

7 


55

KEEP IT contained 

While most of us suffer from tight hips, it’s not 

unheard of to have hips that are too loose. To harness 

the second chakra’s power, you need both physical 

openness to unlock creativity, and structure to give 

that creativity direction. How you feel in your hips is 

a good indication of how balanced your second 

chakra is: Expansive freedom of movement (think 

knees all the way to the floor in Supta Baddha 

Konasana [Reclining Bound Angle Pose]) can signal 

that svadhisthana energy is unbridled and overly 

wild. In this case, you may notice that you’re 

addicted to turbulent and unhealthy relationships, 

or experience jealousy, emotional outbursts, and 

unfulfilling, confusing lust. 

To counter this energy, add more poses like Low 

Lunge, with an emphasis on drawing in, containing, 

and stabilizing the hips. Focus on grounding with each 

inhale, engaging your abductors (outer-thigh muscles), 

hugging in toward your midline with your adductors 

(inner-thigh muscles), and lifting your pelvic floor to 

support the lower back. This will give the second 

chakra a clear, constructive way to express your true 

self, explains LaRue. 

9 

10 

11 

8 


56

8. Prasarita Padottanasana C 

(Wide-Legged standing Forward Bend C) 

From Goddess Pose, straighten your legs and turn your toes forward; interlace the 

fingers behind your back. Press down firmly through the fronts of your heels and lift 

your kneecaps, firming your thighs as you slowly fold forward and maybe bring the 

crown of your head to the floor. Shift your weight slightly forward, aligning your hips 

over your heels. As you open your hips, think about engaging and lifting the pelvic 

floor, finding balance in your second chakra between maintaining structure and letting 

go. Stay here using Ujjayi breath for 1 minute. When you’re done, pivot on your feet, 

coming into Low Lunge with your right foot forward; step back to Down Dog. 

9. Mandukasana (Frog Pose) 

From Down Dog, come to Tabletop, then begin to move your knees away from one 

another. As you do, make sure your feet stay in line with your knees, so that your shins 

and quads form a 90-degree angle. Flex your feet and press through your heels to 

protect your knees. Slide down to your forearms with your palms together and begin 

to gradually press your hips back toward your heels. Feel free to use a blanket 

underneath your knees for comfort. Stay for 1 minute, breathing deeply. Then press 

back to Child’s Pose for 1 minute before rolling up to seated. This intense hip-opening 

posture can often stir up emotions, so be extra generous with your breath, using it as a 

tool to ground you by drawing out your exhales a count or two longer than your 

inhales. 

10. Paschimottanasana 

(Seated Forward Bend) 

Sit with your legs extended and rock side to side, rooting through your sitting bones. 

Stretch your arms upward, palms facing each other. Use your full inhale to lengthen 

your fingertips upward and create more space through your torso, and then use your 

full exhale to fold forward. Catch the outer edges of your feet or calves with your hands 

and lengthen your spine. Inhale to actively firm your legs, flex your feet, and draw your 

torso forward; exhale through the mouth to relax your arms alongside your legs and 

round forward with a soft bend to your knees. Take 6 to 8 cycles of breath. After so 

much hip opening, enjoy this deep, grounding stretch through your hamstrings, flexing 

your toes back to feel into your calves and Achilles. Inhale to roll up slowly. 

11. Supta Baddha Konasana 

(Reclining Bound Angle Pose) 

Make your way onto your back. Bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet 

together. Let you knees release toward the floor, placing a block under each knee for 

support. Place your palms on your belly. As you close your eyes, slow your breath and 

give yourself these last couple of minutes to relax and feel the effort of your practice. 

Infuse your breath with a sense of intention, feeling into the spaciousness you’ve 

cultivated in your hips. Meditate on how you can step off your mat and approach your 

day with creative energy and an open mind. 

Our Pros Teacher and model Mary Beth LaRue is a Los Angeles-based yoga instructor and 

life-design coach. She loves riding her bike, scribbling ideas over coffee, and taking long road 

trips with her family (including her English bulldog, Rosy). Inspired by her teachers Schuyler 

Grant, Elena Brower, and Kia Miller, LaRue has been teaching yoga for more than eight years, 

helping others connect to their inner bliss. She co-founded Rock Your Bliss, a yoga-inspired 

coaching company that helps clients “make shift happen”. Learn more at marybethlarue.com. 

Writer Christine Chen is the author of Happy-Go-Yoga: Simple Poses to Relieve Pain, 

Reduce Stress, and Add Joy and a teacher at Laughing Lotus Yoga Center in New York City. 

She has studied with Cyndi Lee and Dana Flynn. Learn more at christinechenyoga.com. 

INSPYA 

Yoga Teacher Training 

Byron Bay February 6 – March 3, 2017 

Lance Schuler (Principal teacher) 

This Level 1 Teacher Training Course has been 

designed, refined and successfully implemented 

around the globe over the past 10 years. 

INSPYA Yoga has trained over 1500 yoga teachers 

worldwide. We are catering to those aspiring yoga 

practitioners who wish to establish a sound and 

professional foundation as a yoga instructor that 

has both heart and an international reputation. 

This course is 200 contact-hour program 

and has a dual certification process: 

1. RYT-200 Yoga Alliance 200-hour Accreditation 

2. INSPYA Yoga Certificate 200-hour Accreditation 

The diversity of the teacher-trainers and the 

international experience of the INSPYA-Team 

create a platform of learning with such depth 

and excellence for a training that excels in every 

component. All of our teachers have been 

practicing yoga for 18 years or more, and have 

taught on teacher training programs for at 

least 10 years. Our course-materials are also a 

stand out, featuring around 750 pages all up 

(Asana + Philosophy + Pranayama + Anatomy). 

This teacher training will be held at INSPYA Yoga’s 

home, only a few kilometres from Byron Bay. 

Our awe-inspiring property hosts a fully equipped 

yoga studio, which opens out to lush gardens, 

abundant in seasonal organic fruit and vegetables. 

Welcome to the INSPYA-family! 

Venue: Lot 1 Natural Lane, Broken Head 

For further details, please visit our 

website: www.inspyayoga.com 

Or contact Ella directly: 

0431320090 | ellawink@gmail.com

THE 

creativity 

GENIUS OF 

By Sally Wadyka 

Even when life is going well, you can 

still become mired in daily patterns 

that start to feel uninspiring at best, 

and draining at worst. Why not 

break out of your comfort zone 

and discover how much richer life 

can be? Here’s everything you 

need to unleash your inner passions, 

launch your creative inspirations, 

and unlock your brain’s potential. 


58 

IT’S ALL TOO EASY to find yourself on autopilot, simply 

going through the same-old motions: work, eat, yoga, 

sleep, repeat. And while sometimes sticking to your 

routine is a good thing – like showering every morning, 

without which you might start to lose friends! – it can 

also make your life (and, let’s face it, you) a bit boring. 

This is why there are tremendous benefits to stepping 

outside your go-to box, whether that box includes eating 

the same bowl of porridge every morning or going to the 

same yoga class every other night. The path to your 

escape: tapping your creativity. 

Now, before you start having flashbacks to those 

miserable, parent-mandated clarinet lessons of your 

childhood, take a big breath. We’re not suggesting you 

need to develop the musical skills of Mozart, write the 

next great novel, or innovate a best-selling app. 

Rediscovering the creative genius inside you is actually 

much simpler than all of that. 

“We all have many seeds of creativity in us,” 

says Gail Brenner, PhD, author of The End of Self-Help: 

Discovering Peace and Happiness Right at the Heart of 

Your Messy, Scary, Brilliant Life. “We just have to make 

the space for them to come through and flourish.” Of 

course, our yoga and meditation practices can help us do 

that. Read on for expert advice, techniques, and more to 

help you step fully into your creative flow. 

PHOTO: EMREGOLOGLU/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM


59


60 

Not sure exactly how dusting off your old guitar or buying a blank canvas and some paint is anything more 

than a distraction? Theo Tsaousides, PhD, a neuropsychologist and author of Brainblocks: Overcoming the 

7 Hidden Barriers to Success, says creative ventures like these actually prompt our brains to produce and 

combine ideas, making us more likely to adapt, change, and grow in other aspects of our lives. “Creativity is the 

key that unlocks our brain’s potential,” he says. “In fact, when we don’t allow our brains to think creatively, we 

court a variety of problems that can affect everything from how productive we are to how much enjoyment 

and satisfaction we get out of our lives.” By letting your brain go freestyle, you could: 

Combat depression. 

Consider the nature of depression, a condition that the Australian initiative Beyond Blue reports is the leading cause of 

disability worldwide. Beyond Blue states that in Australia alone, it’s estimated that 45% of people will experience a mental 

health condition during their lifetime. Depression also affects at least 16 million Americans at some point in their lives, 

according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Depression often involves looking at the world through a glass 

darkly but being unable to change that perspective, says Tsaousides. “But if you’re in the habit of thinking creatively and 

coming up with options for solving problems, it can lead to a sense of hopefulness that can help stave off feelings of 

depression,” he says. 

Ease anxiety. 

When we become overwhelmed with worry, it’s often because we fear one particular outcome, says Tsaousides. 

But if you’re able to imagine alternative scenarios, it helps to put your mind at ease. 

Boost productivity. 

Creativity involves taking risks – and, often, failing at what you set out to do. However, allowing yourself the freedom to 

try and to fail can help you discover what doesn’t work, which also shines a light on what does work, ultimately leading 

you to greater success. And that can fuel your hunger for more success, which in turn increases your productivity, says 

Tsaousides. 

PHOTO: ERIK KHALITOV/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

Take the (mental) road less travelled 

We all have ways in which we think of ourselves – and ways in which we believe others define us: smart, athletic, type A, scatterbrained. 

“We get so attached to these labels that it can be incredibly difficult to do something outside of them,” says Tsaousides. In the Yoga Sutras, these 

patterns are called samskaras – mental and emotional habits through which we continuously cycle. Repeating our samskaras only reinforces 

them, creating little ‘grooves’ of thought and feeling that become our go-to patterns. Yet it is possible to steer out of these negative grooves, 

says Brenner, by reframing how we view the world, our relationships, and – perhaps most importantly – ourselves. Try these expert-approved 

exercises to help you find freedom from the negative samskaras that might be hindering your realisation of a more fulfilled self. 

Realise that your ‘rules’ can be 

the exception. 

“We get used to our usual thought patterns 

and feelings, but it’s important to 

understand that staying in them is a 

choice,” says Brenner. So, recognise 

whatever your storyline is and become more 

aware of it – ideally, when you’re playing it 

on repeat in your mind. Maybe you 

habitually beat yourself up after receiving 

constructive criticism from your co-workers 

or boss and tell yourself you’re not smart 

enough to do a great job. Or perhaps you 

have a long to-do list but can’t seem to get 

started because you’ve failed to complete 

those tasks in the past – so why would this 

time be any different? Simply looking at the 

confines of your typical thoughts and 

behaviours will make you more likely to 

see their limits, and in so doing, come to 

recognise that other options are always 

available. “When you realise your 

self-imposed boundaries, that’s when you 

can work toward making a change,” says 

Brenner. 

Sit with yourself. 

All too often, we’ll exercise or attend yoga 

class just for the physical benefits or to 

connect with friends, which is great. 

But it’s also important to carve out time 

for quiet reflection, whether that’s sitting 

down to meditate every morning or simply 

having a cup of tea each night in relative 

silence. “Collaborative thinking and 

community support are great ways to 

help fuel your creativity and move you 

in a positive direction, but in order to 

implement changes, you need to get 

quiet so you can process that input and 

determine your next best steps,” says 

Christine Whelan, PhD, a professor at the 

School of Human Ecology at the University 

of Wisconsin-Madison. 

Make small changes. 

You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a 

new habit or do a complete life turnaround 

– say, by quitting your job or moving across 

the country – in order to tap into new 

thoughts and ideas. “Start by trying 

something as innocuous as driving a 

different route to work or mixing up your 

usual breakfast menu,” says Tsaousides. 

Yes, even such seemingly minor changes 

can help train your brain to be open to – 

and get ready for – bigger shifts. It’s like 

building up your tolerance to change so that 

when something big comes along, you can 

handle it with ease, he says. 

Get comfy with discomfort. 

Part of the work of shedding old patterns 

involves embracing the fact that you might 

feel awkward or even slightly miserable in 

your new, unfamiliar world. The best way to 

practice this acceptance is to repeatedly 


61

expose yourself to situations or ideas that 

don’t feel easy. For example, you might 

volunteer to go first when presenting 

ideas at a work meeting even though you 

hate public speaking or fear that your 

co-workers will judge you. Or you could 

say “yes” when your best friend invites 

you to their favourite Saturdaymorning 

dance class instead of going 

to your usual yoga class. When you 

feel uncomfortable or a little out of 

your element, remind yourself that 

your efforts are ultimately broadening 

your current comfort zone, outside of 

which new ideas await. 

7 

Repack your baggage. 

“Life is a journey, and the stuff you needed 

in your bag to get to where you are now 

may not be the stuff you need on the 

journey going forward,” says Whelan. That 

means it’s time to dump it all out and really 

assess what’s there: material possessions, 

your friends, your emotions, your job, and 

so on. Then, ask yourself: “What’s serving 

me and what’s not?” And: “What’s helping 

me break free of my negative samskaras 

and strengthen the positive ones?” Once 

you have assessed everything in front of 

you, you’ll be in a better position to decide 

what stays and what goes. 

suprising 

ways to spur 

innovation 

Eat more fruit … 

and soy and seeds and any other 

food that contains high levels of 

tyrosine, an amino acid 

that is assumed to 

increase your ability 

to think harder and 

more creatively, 

reports a study in 

3 

the Journal 

Psychological 

Research. 

Let yourself be bored 

Turns out that mundane tasks may not be as useless as you 

might think: In one recent study, participants who were 

assigned to copy numbers out of a phone directory for 15 minutes 

(yawn!) were more creative on the next task (coming up with 

new uses for a pair of Styrofoam cups) than people who 

went straight to the cup challenge. 

5 

four 


62 

1 

There’s a reason you come up 

with your best ideas while you’re 

exercising: going for a casual walk 

fosters more creative thinking than 

sitting, according to a Stanford 

University study. Experts think it’s 

because walking makes the heart 

pump more quickly, which circulates 

more fresh, oxygenated (read: 

energising) blood to all your 

organs, including your brain. 

two 

Do a quick body scan. 

six 

Leave your desk messy 

Finally, a good excuse not to 

tidy up! A study at the University of 

Minnesota found that people forced to 

work in messy offices came up with 

more creative and interesting ideas 

than those in neater spaces. 

This style of meditation is more than simply relaxing; it can also help you tap 

your creativity to solve problems. One study published in the journal 

Mindfulness found that a meditation practice during which participants were 

receptive to every thought and sensation in their body made them better at 

divergent thinking – the creative process of coming up with numerous possible 

solutions to a problem – than when their meditation involved focusing on a 

single thought, mantra, or object. 

Travel can be a wonderful way to enhance 

your creativity, according to research by 

Adam Galinsky, PhD, a professor at 

Columbia Business School, especially 

when you immerse yourself in the local 

culture (rather than, say, opting for the 

all-inclusive beach resort). Galinsky has 

found that foreign travel in particular 

boosts the flexibility of your 

7 

thinking, sparking new ideas. 

Start doodling 

Next time you’re stuck in a long meeting, 

pick up your pen and go to town in the 

margins of the paper in front of you. 

Doodling improves your focus and memory, 

according to research published in the journal 

Applied Cognitive Psychology, and can also 

fire up your creative juices, solidify ideas, 

and inspire new notions. 

PHOTO: XDIMITRIOS STEFANIDIS; BOGDANHODA; SEB_RA; SILVIAJANSEN; STOCKFINLAND; MISCHOKO /ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

Creativity flows most readily when there is space, time, and consistency, which is what 

meditation helps us achieve, making it a wonderful tool for tapping our inner creative genius, says 

Elena Brower, a yoga and meditation teacher in New York City and co-author of Art of Attention. “Our privilege 

as practitioners of yoga and meditation is to consciously create that space and time in which to dissolve 

limitations and receive our creative inspiration,” she says. Try her meditation below, designed to help you move 

beyond your usual boundaries and open yourself up to new and different possibilities. “This meditation is a simple 

exploration that connects you to the central channel of your body, where creativity lives and where confidence and 

clarity can arise,” says Brower. 

• Begin by sitting comfortably, hips elevated higher than your knees. Inhale into both nostrils, all the way down into 

your belly. Feel light descending as you breathe in. Exhale up from your belly and out through your nostrils, and feel 

light rising as you breathe out. 

• Next, add the elements of receptivity and listening through a simple mudra and affirmation to enhance your creative 

clarity. Place your hands into the shape of a bowl in front of your heart space, with your pinkies touching, palms facing 

up. 

• Breathe deeply into your belly through your nostrils and feel a quality of receiving in your hands. Invite the source of 

your creativity into your physical body, noticing any thoughts or sensations as they arise. Welcome your breathing and 

watch it become longer, steadier, and more patient with each successive inhale and exhale. As you find more stability 

in both your breath and your body, you produce rich soil in which to place the seeds of your creativity. Breathe long and 

fully for 3 to 11 minutes, your choice. 

• To end, imagine you’re moving light all the way down into your belly, and bring your hands to prayer (Anjali Mudra) in 

front of your heart. Exhale up from your belly and out through your nostrils, drawing your navel centre back toward 

your spine, imagining light rising and emanating brightly throughout your being and into the space around you. 

4 DAY QUEENSLAND RETREAT 

The Haven, Emu Park, Qld 

Thurs 29 Sept ( 4 pm ) - Tues 4 Oct (10am) 

Immerse yourself in 4 days of yoga, meditation, delicious vegetarian food and the beautiful natural 

surroundings of Emu Park. Spacious, fully catered accommodation only 3 minutes walk to the beach. 

An ideal environment to engage fully with your yoga practice and restore your inner balance. 

Single Room - $1,150 Single en Suite - $1,250 

Twin/Double en Suite - $1,030 (per person) Three Share - $855 ( per person ) 

Sunset Sail ( Optional ) - $55 

Price includes 5 nights accommodation, all meals, airport transfers, 

restorative yoga class on arrival, 4 days Iyengar yoga tuition with 3 classes a day - 

pranayama, asana and inversions - and an optional teaching workshop. 

*** Led by Linda Apps, JI3 qualified Iyengar Yoga teacher with 25 years experience *** 

Email: linda@yoganook.com.au | Tel: 02 9550 9155 | www.yoganook.com.au

30 minutes 

FRITTATA 

This Italian egg dish is so much more 

than just an omelet 

CREAMED CORN, CHARD, AND RED 

POTATO FRITTATA WITH JALAPEÑOS 

SERVES 8 | 30 MINUTES OR LESS 

Sweet corn and spicy jalapeños add Southwestern flavour to this 

spuds-and-greens skillet supper. 

6 large eggs 

¼ cup plus 1 Tbs. of skim or low-fat milk 

2 Tbs. olive oil, divided 

½ cup chopped onion 

1 large red potato (350 grams), halved and chopped into thin slices 

1 ½ cups yellow corn kernels, divided 

½ jalapeño chili, thinly sliced 

1 cup torn spinach 

50 grams ricotta, crumbled (1⁄3 cup) 


64 

1 Set oven rack in top third of oven; preheat oven to 200°C. 

2 Whisk eggs with 1 Tbs. skim milk, and season with salt, if desired. Set aside. 

3 Heat 1 Tbs. oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and 

sauté 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high, add potato, and season with salt, 

if desired. Cook 5 minutes, or until browned in some places and al dente, stirring 

occasionally. 

4 Meanwhile, pulse 1 cup corn kernels and 1 tsp. jalapeño slices with remaining 

¼ cup half-and-half or milk in food processor until chunky. 

5 Stir creamed corn mixture and remaining ½ cup corn kernels into potato 

mixture; cook 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in chard and remaining 1 

Tbs. olive oil. Drizzle eggs over vegetables to coat evenly. Cook 2 minutes, shifting 

vegetables so that egg coats bottom of the pan and all vegetables lie flat and are 

at least halfway submerged by egg. Sprinkle with remaining jalapeño slices and 

ricotta. Bake frittata in oven 7 to 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving. 

PER SLICE 170 CAL; 8 G PROT; 10 G TOTAL FAT (3 G SAT FAT); 14 G CARB; 

147 MG CHOL; 119 MG SOD; 2 G FIBER; 3 G SUGARS


65


66 

SUMMER SQUASH, FINGERLING 

POTATO, AND RED ONION FRITTATA 


Celebrate the approach of spring with a frittata that makes 

the most of local squash and potatoes. We’ve called for 

new potatoes, but any firm “boiling” or new potato 

variety will work. 

2 Tbs. olive oil, divided 

½ large red onion, thinly sliced (1 cup) 

500 grams potatoes, thinly sliced lengthwise (1 ¾ cups) 

1 ¼ cups thinly sliced zucchini (1 medium zucchini) 

1 cup thinly sliced yellow squash (1 medium squash) 

6 large eggs 

½ tsp. fresh thyme leaves, plus fresh thyme sprigs 

for garnish 


2 Heat 1 Tbs. oil in large, ovenproof skillet over medium heat. 

Add onion, and season with salt, if desired. Cook 4 minutes, 

or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes, and 

cook 6 minutes, or until browned in places. Increase heat to 

medium-high, and add zucchini, squash, and remaining 1 Tbs. oil. 

Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium. 

3 Meanwhile, whisk eggs in medium bowl, and season with 

salt and pepper, if desired. Pour eggs into pan, and cook frittata 

2 minutes, shifting vegetables around so that egg coats bottom 

of pan. Sprinkle with thyme leaves, then bake frittata 7 to 8 

minutes, or until eggs are no longer runny and begin to slightly 

pull away from sides of skillet. Cool 2 minutes before serving. 

Garnish with thyme sprigs. 

PER SLICE 116 CAL; 6 G PROT; 7 G TOTAL FAT (2 G SAT FAT); 

8 G CARB; 140 MG CHOL; 56 MG SOD; 1 G FIBER; 1 G SUGARS

RED CABBAGE 

FRITTATA WITH 

LEMON AND HERBS 


Parsley, toasted garlic, and lemon 

bring out red cabbage’s sweeter side 

in this surprising frittata combination. 

1 Tbs. olive oil 

5 cloves garlic, peeled and 

thinly sliced 

5 cups thinly sliced red cabbage 

10 large eggs 

½ cup packed Italian parsley leaves, 

plus more leaves for garnish 

1 small lemon, very thinly sliced 

Fresh mint leaves, for garnish 

1 Set oven rack in top third of the 

oven; preheat oven to 200°C. 

2 Heat oil in large, ovenproof skillet 

over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook 

2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly toasted, 

stirring occasionally. Add cabbage, and 

season with salt and pepper, if desired. 

Cook 10 minutes, or until cabbage is 

lightly browned in places and tender. 

3 Meanwhile, whisk eggs in large 

bowl, and season with salt and pepper, 

if desired. Set aside. 

4 Stir parsley leaves into cabbage in 

skillet. Pour eggs into skillet, and cook 

frittata 2 minutes, shifting cabbage around 

so that egg coats bottom of pan. Arrange 

lemon slices over frittata. Transfer skillet to 

oven, and bake 12 minutes, or until eggs 

are fully set and begin to slightly pull away 

from sides of skillet. Remove from oven, 

and cool 2 minutes before serving. 

Garnish with mint and parsley leaves. 

PER SLICE 124 CAL; 9 G PROT; 8 G TOTAL 

FAT (2 G SAT FAT); 5 G CARB; 233 MG CHOL; 

104 MG SOD; 1 G FIBER; 2 G SUGARS 

a u g ust/september 2016 yog a j ournal.com.au 

67

GRAPE TOMATO AND 

COLLARD GREENS FRITTATA 

SERVES 8 

| 30 MINUTES OR LESS 

Kale, mustard greens, and turnip greens can be used 

in place of the collards depending on which dark, leafy 

green looks freshest when you’re shopping. The beauty 

of using grape tomatoes is that they don’t leach too much 

liquid into the frittata batter. 

10 large eggs 

2 tsp. finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more 

for garnish 

1 tsp. prepared horseradish, plus more for dolloping 


4 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp.) 

1 small bunch kale, stems removed, leaves torn into 2-inch 

pieces then thinly sliced into ribbons (3 cups), plus a few 

ribbons for garnish 

1 ¾ cups halved grape tomatoes or small cherry tomatoes, 

plus more for garnish 

1 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese 


2 Whisk together eggs, Parmesan, and horseradish in large 

bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Set aside. 


68 

3 Heat 1 Tbs. oil in large, ovenproof skillet over 

medium-high heat. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Add kale 

and 1 Tbs. water, and season with salt, if desired. Sauté 

2 minutes, or until kale just wilts. Add 1 ¼ cups tomatoes 

and cook 3 minutes, or until flesh begins to break down a 

little, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium, and add 

remaining 1 Tbs. oil to skillet. Pour in eggs, drizzling over 

tomatoes and greens to coat evenly. Cook 2 minutes, shifting 

vegetables around so that egg coats bottom of pan and 

all vegetables lie flat and are at least halfway submerged by 

egg. 

4 Sprinkle frittata with cheese, then scatter remaining ½ 

cup tomatoes cut-side up over top. Bake 8 minutes, or until 

top is just set and cheese is melted. Increase oven heat to 

broil, and broil 4 to 5 minutes, or until cheese begins to 

brown around edges and eggs are just starting to pull away 

from sides of the pan. Cool 2 minutes before garnishing 

with Parmesan, kale ribbons, and tomatoes. 

PER SLICE 176 CAL; 12 G PROT; 12 G TOTAL FAT (4 G SAT FAT); 

4 G CARB; 242 MG CHOL; 199 MG SOD;

GOLDEN FRITTATA 

WITH RED CAPSICUM, 

CHICKPEAS, AND BABY 

SPINACH 

SERVES 8 

| 30 MINUTES OR LESS 

Ground turmeric lends a hint of Indian 

flavour and a rich saffron color to this 

cheese-free frittata. 

9 large eggs 

1 ¼ tsp. ground turmeric 


½ medium yellow onion, sliced 

into 1/2-cm half-moons 

1 large red capsicum, sliced 

(2 cups) 

1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas, 

or one 400 gram can chickpeas, 

rinsed and drained 

1 packed cup baby spinach, 

roughly torn 

1 Set oven rack in top third of oven; 

preheat oven to 200°C. 

2 Whisk together eggs and turmeric, and 

season with salt and pepper, if desired. 

Reprinted with permission from Vegetarian Times ® copyright © 2015 Cruz Bay Publishing Inc. 

3 Heat oil in large, ovenproof skillet over 

medium-high heat. Add onion, and season 

with salt if desired. Sauté 2 minutes, or 

until onion is slightly softened. Add capsicum, 

and cook 4 minutes, or until 

it is slightly softened. Stir in 

chickpeas and spinach, then pour in 

eggs, drizzling all over vegetables and 

chickpeas to coat evenly. Cook 2 minutes, 

shifting vegetables around so that egg 

coats bottom of skillet and all vegetables 

lie flat and are at least halfway submerged 

by egg. Transfer to oven. 

4 Bake frittata 12 minutes, or until top and 

center of eggs are just set. Cool 2 minutes 

before serving. 

PER SLICE 178 CAL; 10 G PROT; 10 G TOTAL 

FAT (2 G SAT FAT); 12 G CARB; 209 MG CHOL; 

162 MG SOD; 3 G FIBER; 3 G SUGARS 


69

ti 

HOME PRACTICE 

A home practice 

find your courageBy Kiyomi Takahashi 

IT TAKES CREATIVITY and fearlessness to adventure into our heart’s 

deepest desires, and this Kundalini Yoga practice passed down by Yogi 

Bhajan, the master of Kundalini Yoga, can help you find both. Through 

energetic movements that activate and strengthen the lower nerve plexus— 

the area below the navel that houses our digestive organs, including the 

“gut” we’re so often told to follow—we can move vital energy up into the 

heart, making us feel stabler. This is particularly helpful as we face challenges 

and fears around stepping into the unknown. What’s more, the meditation 

at the end of this practice can help you rediscover who you truly are, and 

support you in pursuing your deepest, most heartfelt desires. It can also 

prompt you to fine-tune the goals you already have, enabling you to see 

where tweaks are needed and helping you stay the course when distractions 

inevitably arise. 

Prep work 

Say or chant Ong namo guru dev (rhymes with “save”) namo three 

times. This means “I bow to the teacher within” and is used at the 

beginning of every Kundalini practice to tune in to the divinity and 

knowledge in each of us. 

Practice tips 

1. Do the poses in order, trying not to skip any. You can, however, 

modify any posture to accommodate injuries or your present level of 

strength and flexibility. 

2. Start slowly, taking rests when needed and gradually building up to 

the time given for each pose. Between poses, pause for at least 30 to 60 

seconds of rest. 


70 

1 Run in Place 

Start standing with your upper arms pulled 

back, forearms parallel to the ground and 

hands in fists facing each other. Alternating 

sides, lift each knee as high as possible while 

you punch the opposite arm forward, so that 

your arm reaches straight out. Move your 

arms forcefully forward and back. Repeat for 

2 minutes. 

2 Ego Eradicator 

Sit cross-legged and apply Jalandhara Bandha 

(Neck or Chin Lock). To engage the lock, lift 

your chest and lengthen the back of your neck 

so that the chin naturally drops toward the front 

of the neck. Curl your fingertips onto the pads 

of the palms, with the thumbs stretched back 

and aimed at each other above the head. Begin 

Breath of Fire: this is a rhythmic, continuous breath 

through the nostrils in which on each exhale 

you pull the navel point back and upward; breathe 

at roughly 40 to 60 breaths per minute to start, 

gradually increasing the speed as you feel ready. 

To end, take a big inhale; as you suspend the 

breath, touch your thumbs together above your 

head. Exhale to release your arms down and 

touch your fingertips to the ground. 

3 Cat-Cow Pose 

Come onto your hands and knees, with the hands 

shoulder-width apart and knees directly under 

the hips. For Cow, inhale as you tilt your pelvis 

forward, extending your spine downward and head 

and neck upward. For Cat, exhale as you reverse 

the pelvic tilt, flexing your spine up and pressing 

the chin to the chest. In both poses, keep the arms 

and legs still. Continue rhythmically alternating 

between both poses with powerful breathing. 

Repeat for 2 minutes. To end, inhale into Cow, 

hold, and pull your energy up the spine with Mula 

Bandha (Root Lock) engaged. To engage Root Lock, 

gently contract your anal sphincter and lower body 

to access the lift of the pelvic floor. Exhale and 

relax on your heels. Sit quietly, feeling the energy 

circulate throughout your body.

4 Maha Mudra Kriya 

(The Great Seat of Yoga) 

Sit with your left heel under your buttocks and 

your right leg extended forward. (To modify, 

touch the sole of your left foot against your 

right inner thigh.) Bend forward and grasp your 

right toes with both hands. Straighten your 

spine and look at your toes. Stay still, with 

smooth, even breaths. Apply a light Root Lock. 

Continue for 2 minutes, then inhale deeply and 

pull the toes back. Exhale, pull the toes back 

more, and apply a strong Root Lock. Repeat this 

strong Root Lock–breath cycle 2 more times, 

and then relax. 

5 Kundalini Lotus Pose 

Balance on the sacrum and grasp the big toes. 

Holding onto the big toes, raise the legs to a 

60-degree angle from the floor and spread them 

wide, without bending the knees. (Modification: 

hold your thighs or shins.) Engage the navel for 

balance. Keep the spine straight. Apply a constant 

Root Lock. Hold for 2 minutes, breathing deeply. 

Then inhale deeply, exhale, and apply a strong 

Root Lock. Repeat the strong Root Lock– breath 

cycle 2 more times. Relax. 

6 Paschimottanasana 

Seated Forward Bend 

Extend both legs straight and reach forward, 

holding onto your big toes. Pull your spine up 

straight by pulling back on your toes, and engage 

Chin Lock. Take long, deep breaths for 2 minutes. 

To finish, apply a strong Root Lock on the exhale; 

repeat this Root Lock 2 more times. 

PHOTOS: IAN SPANIER; MODEL: KIYOMI TAKAHASHI; STYLIST: MATTHEW PERIDIS; 

HAIR/MAKEUP: MICHELLE COURSEY AND ANGELA KIM; TOP AND BOTTOMS: ALO YOGA; BRA: GAPFIT 

7 Back Platform Pose 

Sit with your legs extended and hands on the ground behind 

you, with your heels on the ground and fingertips facing your 

toes. Lift your chest, abdomen, and hips until your body is 

straight, with only the palms and heels on the ground. Bring your 

chin to your chest and press your toes forward. Hold the position, 

with long, deep breaths, for 2 minutes. Inhale deeply, and as you 

exhale, apply Root Lock. Repeat the breath with Root Lock 2 more 

times, then relax. 

8 Front Platform Pose 

Lie on your stomach. Put the palms of your hands on the ground 

under your shoulders and push up off the ground by straightening 

your elbows until your body is on a plane, with only the hands and 

tops of the feet on the ground. (Modification: Place your knees on the 

ground.) Exhale as you slowly lower to the floor. Inhale as you slowly 

rise up. Do not apply Root Lock. Continue with deep, slow breaths 

for 2 minutes. To finish, inhale deeply; as you exhale, apply Root 

Lock and hold the platform position. Repeat this concluding breath 

2 more times. 

CONTINUE SEQUENCE ON NEXT PAGE. 


71

ti 

HOME PRACTICE 

9 Elbows-Back Platform Pose 

Lie on your back and place your elbows close to your sides, with the 

forearms at or close to a 90-degree angle to the ground. Lift the chest, 

abdomen, and hips until your body is straight, with only your elbows and 

heels on the ground. (To modify, place padding under your elbows and 

keep your hips on the ground.) Bring your chin to your chest and press 

your toes forward. Hold the pose with long deep breaths. Continue for 2 

minutes. Then, exhal 

old, and release. 

10 Kundalini Yoga Fish Pose 

Kneel on your shins with your buttocks on your heels. Slowly lean back 

until your head (and possibly the shoulders) is on the ground and your 

arms are relaxed on the ground beside your legs. (Modification: Cross the 

legs and lie on your back.) Keep a light, constant Root Lock. Begin long, 

deep breaths and continue for 2 minutes. Then, exhale completely and 

apply a strong Root Lock; inhale. Repeat the complete exhale and Root 

Lock 2 more times, then relax. 


72 

11 Frog Pose 

Squat with knees wide and toes on the ground, 

heels together off the floor, and fingertips on 

the ground between the knees. Keep your 

back straight and face forward. Inhale; staying 

on your toes and fingertips, raise your hips as 

your head descends and your knees straighten. 

Exhale and return to your original squatting 

position. Continue for 2 minutes, keeping the 

movements quick and vigorous. 

12 Alternating Leg Lifts 

Lie on your back with your arms relaxed along 

the sides of your body, palms down. As you inhale, 

lift one leg up to 90 degrees, applying a slight Root 

Lock. As you exhale, let that leg down smoothly 

to the ground. Switch legs on every breath and 

continue for 2 minutes. 

OUR PRO LA–based teacher and model Kiyomi Takahashi is certified in the 

alignment-based vinyasa tradition, as well as in Kundalini Yoga. A student of 

Annie Carpenter, Guru Singh, and numerous others, Takahashi combines the 

essence of different traditions to encourage her students to take the lessons 

of yoga off the mat. She teaches at YogaWorks, Golden Bridge, and other 

studios in LA and leads teacher trainings, workshops, and an online 

meditation course. Learn more at kiyomiyoga.com. 

14 Savasana 

13 Seated Meditation 

Sit in a comfortable meditation posture. 

Pull in the navel point and apply Root Lock. 

Mentally scan your body, noticing where you 

encounter a limited definition of who you are, 

and then ridding yourself of it completely. The 

goal is to remember your true essence. Stay 

here for 3 or more minutes. 

Corpse Pose 

Lie on your back with your legs extended in front of you; let your 

palms turn up and your arms and legs relax deeply. This pose allows 

you to release, rejuvenate, and fully integrate the energy of the 

practice, and reset the nervous system. Stay here for 5 to 7 minutes.

IYTA - Yoga for You 

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your practice 

YOGAPEDIA 

Poses of the month 

How to move from 

Matsyasana to Camatkarasana 

By Cyndi Lee 

Matsyasana 

} 

matsya = fish · asana = pose 

Fish Pose 


74 

Benefit 

Opens the shoulders and chest; softens 

the often tight middle back; stretches 

the neck and thyroid; offers a balance 

of opening without grasping, and of 

relaxing without collapsing. 

Instruction 

1 Sit in Dandasana (Staff Pose), with your 

legs extended in front of you and your 

spine long. 

2 Slowly roll onto your back. Press your 

palms down and lift up onto the top of 

your head. 

3 Walk your fingers toward your feet until 

your arms are straight—your elbows 

should be off the floor. Again press down 

firmly with your palms, and tuck your 

shoulder blades into your back; this will 

lift and open your chest and support your 

neck. 

4 Keep your legs and feet strongly 

engaged. If it feels like there’s too much 

pressure on your head or spine, see the 

modifications on page 75. 

5 Place your attention on the sensation 

of your breath right at the edge of your 

nostrils. Don’t think about or visualize the 

breath, but actually tune in to the feeling 

of the wind energy passing in and out of 

your body. Let your mind settle into this 

practice of close attention. 

DON’T collapse through the chest 

and scrunch your neck and shoulders. . 

DON’T let your feet flop open to the sides. 

This can put pressure on your low back. 

Our Pros Teacher and model Cyndi Lee is the first female Western yoga teacher to integrate yoga asana and Tibetan Buddhism. Founder of New York City’s OM 

Yoga Center (1998–2012), she now owns Yoga Goodness Studio in central Virginia and teaches workshops and trainings worldwide. Author of Yoga Body, Buddha 

Mind, Lee regularly writes for Yoga Journal, Real Simple, Lion’s Roar, and other magazines. She holds an MFA in dance from the University of California, Irvine, 

is a longtime student of Gelek Rimpoche, and is currently training for ordination as a Zen Buddhist chaplain. Learn more at cyndilee.com. 

PHOTOS: RICK CUMMINGS; MODEL: CYNDI LEE; STYLIST: EMIL Y CHOI; HAIR/MAKEUP:BETH WALKER; TOP: LULULEMON; BOTTOMS: LUCY

your practice 

YOGAPEDIA 

Modify Matsyasana if needed to find safe alignment for your body. 

If Matsyasana feels stressful 

on your neck ... 

TRY a propped version of the pose in which 

you place two blocks on their longer, narrow 

edges where your head and shoulder blades 

will rest. From Staff Pose, slowly lower onto 

the blocks. (Make sure the block under your 

shoulder blades isn’t touching your ribs below 

your shoulder blades.) In this position, you can 

let your feet fall open, as if you were taking 

Savasana (Corpse Pose). From here, externally 

rotate your arms so your palms face up. Let 

your shoulders drape off the block. Having 

If your low back feels congested 

or your groins and hips are 

getting overstretched ... 

TRY the propped version at left, but with a 

different leg position. Bend your knees and 

place your feet on the floor, mat-width apart. 

Let your toes turn in slightly and your knees fall 

together. This position is called Constructive 

Rest and will widen the sacrum. You can also 

experiment with different block heights under 

your head, lowering the block to receive more 

of a neck stretch and chest opener. 

If you feel too much of a 

stretch between your shoulder 

blades ... 

TRY using a blanket. Fold it in half lengthwise, 

and then roll the folded side over one or two 

times. Lie on the blanket just as you did with 

the block, placing the blanket roll along the 

lower edges of your shoulder blades. Your 

head can rest on the unfolded part of the 

blanket This will give you a nice chest and 

FIND JOY & CONTENTMENT 

The buoyancy that lifts our hearts and our moods when we practice backbends needs to be balanced with a downward-moving energy 

to help us stay rooted and safe. This dual action is how you find the fullness of yoga in any pose; when we experience it in backbends 

like Camatkarasana (Wild Thing)—the final pose in this sequence—we begin to understand what Buddhist teachings call the “ground of 

our existence,” or simply put: joy and contentment. Instead of grasping for that perfect backbend, allow the earth to support you. 

Actually feel the parts of you that are touching the ground, along with the parts of you that are reaching up. This is the path to 

e 

Setu 

Bene 

Streng 

musc 

musc 

Instr 

Lie on 

Press 

your b 


75

your practice 

YOGAPEDIA 

Benefit 

Creates length in your quadriceps and hamstring muscles; shows you 

what it feels like to press down with your feet to open your chest. 

Instruction 

Come to kneel on your shins and the tops of your feet. Lift your chest 

toward the ceiling, finding length in your spine and sides. Don’t squeeze 

your glutes, tuck your pelvis, or press your thighs forward; instead, 

engage your inner thighs. Begin to curl your upper spine backward. 

Release your arms and let them swing behind you to catch your feet. 

Press your feet down to lift your chest more. Tuck your shoulder blades, 

as you did in Matsyasana. Hold for 3–5 breaths. To come up, press your 

feet down and lengthen your spine. Let your head come up last. 

Viparita Virabhadrasana (Reverse Warrior Pose) 

Benefit 

Stretches your side body; shows how working the legs liberates the 

spine. 

Instruction 

Stand in Virabhadrasana II (Warrior Pose II), with your left leg forward 

and your knee tracking over your foot (your hips may be at a slight 

diagonal). Extend and externally rotate your arms. Then, internally rotate 

your forearms, creating a strong spiral from your shoulder blades. 

Sidebend to the right, rest your right hand on your right leg, and extend 

your left arm up and back. Avoid backbending. Hold for 3–5 breaths. 

Return to Warrior II and switch sides. 

Open the front and sides of the body and find greater contentment 

and joy as you move step by step into Camatkarasana. 


76 

Benefit 

Strengthens your wrists, arms, and shoulders; 

opens your psoas muscles; enhances breathing by 

opening your chest and stretching your sides. 

Instruction 

1 Sit with your right leg straight in front of you and 

your left leg bent, foot firmly planted on the floor 

several inches from your right thigh. If your pelvis 

is tucking under and it’s difficult to sit tall, place a 

folded blanket under your sitting bones. This will 

create more verticality in your spine and take the 

strain out of your back muscles. 

2 Inhale and extend both arms alongside your 

ears. 

3 As you exhale, twist to the right, away from your 

bent leg. Place your right hand on the floor behind 

your tailbone (and blanket if you are using one) and 

your left arm inside your left leg. This open twist is 

a good preparation for backbending actions. Stay 

here for a few breaths. Inhale to get taller; exhale to 

twist deeper.

Camatkarasana 

Camatkara = wonder and astonishment · asana = pose 

Wild Thing 

4 Now you are going to press down with three things 

at once—your right hand, left foot, and right foot— 

which will lift your hips. Sweep your left 

arm overhead. Imagine that you’re lying back over a 

humongous barrel, creating a long, curved spine and 

open chest. Don’t make this a big deal. 

Be content with how the pose is for you today. Rather 

than over-arching and over-reaching, remember the 

feeling of being supported in Fish Pose and its 

modifications, and in Bridge Pose. Feel the space both 

underneath and above you. Support from underneath 

invites contentment; opening to the possibility above 

invites joy and delight. Stay here for no more than 3 

breaths. Exhale to lower and repeat on the other side. 

Stay safe 

Move mindfully with curiosity—this may be the wildest thing we can do in yoga and in life. 

Distribute your effort evenly through all four limbs. Keep your top arm straight—do not bend the elbow or wrist— 

allowing it to lift some of the weight off the lower arm. Firmly tuck your shoulder blades into your back to help you 

avoid sinking into the shoulder; be spacious in the joint, enabling the pose to be supportive and safe. Breathe 

consciously—not too loudly, not too softly. Let every breath be a conversation between the earth and the sky. 


77

travel 

EXPERIENCE 


78 

PHOTO: SANDRAKAVAS/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM;

Spiritual 

FREEDOM 

Jessica Humphries finds peace while 

drinking in the good vibes – and 

green juice– at Krishna Village, 

a magical retreat for volunteers, 

karma yogis and teacher trainees. 


79


80 

travel 

EXPERIENCE 

AS A SENSI IVE YOGINI, I tend not to create the kind of 

lifestyle th t leaves room for a lot of stress. I’m a slow 

living free spirit who makes sure I have plenty of time 

for the people and activities that I love. But before 

arriving at Krishna Village, I was feeling the weight of 

the world n my shoulders. I had just over 24 hours for 

a quick getaway, and Krishna Village had 

serendipit usly found its way into my arena. My good 

friend and old colleague Lila Kirtana invited me to 

come and xperience the magic of this little community 

tucked aw y in the Tweed Valley, just outside the sleepy 

town of M rwillumbah in northern NSW. Here, at the 

eco yoga c mmunity, Lila manages teacher trainings 

and coordinates new arrivals. 

As I dr ve towards the township, I admired the 

landscape. Typically for this part of the country, the 

land is sur ounded by lush rolling hills, mountains and 

rainforest. I was instantly struck by a strong sense of 

communit as I drove into the village. I felt as though I 

had time t avelled back a century as I watched people 

gathering n small groups to talk, stretch and garden. 

One man ushed a wheelbarrow and smiled brightly at 

me as I dr ve in … he was obviously blissed out on the 

simple life as the sun shone magnificently above. The 

good vibes were palpable, and I felt instantly welcomed 

into this li tle community of Bhakti yogis walking the 

talk as the contributed to the growth of the centre 

while com itting to their own spiritual development. 

I gathe ed with other new guests made up of those 

enjoying a retreat stay, volunteers and karma yogis. 

Students of the teacher training were also on site, but 

had already had their introductions almost six weeks 

ago at the beginning of their course. Their time here 

was now coming to an end, and the little yoga family 

was blossoming. 

Lila showed us to the humble and colourful yoga 

shala and I admired the views outside the large 

windows: intense greenery, gentle slopes and a hint of 

Mount Warning beyond the clouds in the distance. As 

we introduced ourselves, I noticed that the other guests 

were mostly young Europeans. With dreadlocked hair 

and hippie attire, they were here to explore something 

new and delve into the intoxicating world of yogic 

spirituality. 

Lila told us that the Krishna Farm has been here for 

39 years. Comprising of almost 1000 acres, the 

community is a multiple occupancy consisting of not 

only the Krishna Village, but of a Hare Krishna 

temple, other retreat centres and a school for local 

children. The Krishna Village itself, which occupies 

just a small space, was born five years ago when one 

resident, Madreya Daniels, manifested a vision to 

create a structured volunteer program and space for 

students to explore their spirituality and test the waters 

of a yogic lifestyle. With the volunteer program well 

under way, the centre has now introduced a retreat 

program where guests can come and enjoy some time 

out in nature while exploring their yoga and spiritual 

practice. Lila explained that nearby Mount Warning 

was the highest in the area, and that it has long been 

recognised by traditional communities for its 

mysterious healing qualities. The area is known far and 

PHOTOS: PETER RIGBY

wide as a place to come and receive the healing one 

needs. “The longer you spend in this area, the more 

you feel the benefits,” Lila mused. 

Krishna Village is very mindful of who they invite 

in, honouring the philosophy that “a community is 

nothing more than the sum of its individuals”, said 

Lila. Based on the concepts of Sattva (living in the 

mode of goodness), all guests are asked to honour 

ethical principles from yogic philosophies. 

As we wandered through the kitchen and outdoor 

dining area, I became aware of the nostalgic scent of a 

campfire, and was delighted to see a huge fire pit in 

the centre of the dining space. This is where we would 

eat our daily lunches, and every Friday night guests 

gather around for vegan pizza and music with local 

and visiting musicians. 

“I felt peaceful, grounded by nature 

and inspired by the environment 

that’s been created –the kind of 

space that allows one to expand in 

ways not possible while being 

exposed to the toxic stimulation of 

the outside world.” 

PHOTOS: AZMANL/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM;ANNABELLE DELA CRUZ-BUCHANAN 

The Hare Krishna Temple, although technically not 

a part of the Krishna Village, is one of 650 around the 

world, and guests are invited to participate in any 

sessions on offer – from chanting and meditation, to 

talks on the Bhagavad Gita. The very traditional space 

is adorned with Krishna deities, and Monks come daily 

to lead chanting and philosophy sessions, inspiring 

guests with an authentic experience. 

After a thoroughly educational tour and some 

kirtan (call and response devotional chanting), I was 

shown to my room – a small, simple space with a 

single bed, dresser and a small oil heater. Out of the 

two windows I could see an ocean of green treetops 

and some volunteers’ tents scattered around. I felt 

peaceful, grounded by nature and inspired by the 

environment that’s been created –the kind of space 

that allows one to expand in ways not possible while 

being exposed to the toxic stimulation of the outside 

world. I stripped off my yoga clothes and threw on 

some flowy pants, a woolly jumper and Ugg boots. I 

felt like a new yogi again, in unfamiliar but exciting 

territory as I sat on my bed and looked out the window. 

The sun crept through the trees and I listened to birds 

singing and undertones of European accents chatting 

in the distance while I sipped on my freshly squeezed 

green juice. 

At lunch, as I enjoyed my healthy vegetarian meal, I 

chatted with Malcolm – one of the senior teachers at 

the village and another old friend from the Byron 

shire. Malcolm lit up when he talked about his life at 

Krishna Village. We chatted yogic philosophy and he 

inspired me with his wisdom and enthusiasm. 81 

august/september 2016 yogajournal.com.au

travel 

EXPERIENCE 

Although all yogic philosophies are taught on retreats 

and teacher trainings, the main practices at the village 

are that of the Bhakti yogis who practice devotion and 

love through chanting, meditating and service to 

others. Malcolm said, “It’s not about us at all. It’s about 

the teachings. It’s amazing the transformation you see 

of some of these students during the time they’re here. 

They start to ask some really big questions.” 

Current teacher trainees who have been directed to 

instruct creatively and holistically, with a focus on 

safety and alignment, taught the afternoon vinyasa 

yoga class. After a warming but accessible session, I 

floated over to dinner – an Indian-style spread served 

just outside the temple (every Sunday 300-500 

members of the community gather here for a Hare 

Krishna feast). I sat with Lila while I sipped on a sweet 

chai. She shone as she talked about her love of kirtan 

and gratitude at being able to share her voice and 

chanting with students and guests. Lila and Malcom 

are both part of the well-known kirtan band, 

EnCHANTed. They both bring their passion for 

devotional chanting to Krishna Village and facilitate 

daily kirtans. 

As I drifted off to sleep that night, I listened to the 

pitter-patter of rain on the rooftop and the distant 

sound of acoustic guitar and singing. 

The next day, I drove away feeling centred and 

peaceful. After a short detox from technology, a good 

nature hit and a spiritual feast, I imagined the kind of 

transformation that could occur if I spent a week or a 

month in this enchanted village … I was already 

beginning to daydream of my return. 


82 

WHAT TO EXPECT 

Far from the glitz and glamour of many modern yoga retreat experiences, 

Krishna Village is a great value, family-friendly, budget retreat centre. 

Expect a truly grounded and spiritual experience that’s heavy on philosophy 

and light on asana. The accommodation is simplistic, eco chic, with shipping 

containers separated into bedrooms. The community aims to act as a midway 

point – providing an entry to spiritual life for those interested in exploring 

yogic philosophies.

GET INVOLVED AT 

KRISHNA VILLAGE 

• Retreat guests can create their own 

schedule comprising of yoga classes, 

meditation, philosophy, chanting and 

relaxation (including massage, life 

coaching and other treatments). 

• Volunteers mainly work in the kitchen 

or garden for roughly five hours a day, 

six days a week in exchange for food, 

accommodation and three yoga-related 

classes a day. They are encouraged to 

explore their spirituality while living in 

the community. 

• Teacher trainees live on site for six weeks 

while completing their level one training 

where they are deeply immersed in the 

yogic lifestyle and emerge as fully 

qualified instructors. 

See www.krishna-village-retreat.com 

for more details. 

PHOTOS: TODOR TSVETKOV/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM; 

ANNABELLE DELA CRUZ-BUCHANAN

Off the Mat 

INTERVIEW 

Africa Yoga 

PROJECT 

AYJ 


84 

We caught up with Renee Canzoneri to chat 

about how she took her practice off the mat to 

empower and inspire yoga students in Africa. 

Inspired by the practice of 

yoga, Renee let go of her 

corporate fashion career 

to teach. Her passion for 

yoga and mindfulness 

has taken her around the 

globe, learning, practicing 

and working with some of 

the world’s best teachers 

– including completing 

her 500hr training with 

Baron Baptiste in the 

USA. Renee teaches to 

empower her students, 

and create possibility both 

on and off the mat. 

What inspired you to take your yoga 

practice off the mat? 

RENEE Yoga for me is about so much more 

than the asana. Of course the physical 

component is key, and offers an access 

point to the deeper lessons available, but 

the real impact of it has been on my 

relationships and in my life. We learn such 

valuable lessons on our mat, and insights 

we can take to shift our perspective and 

lives. Off my mat is where I have 

experienced the real power of the practice, 

and I want to be a part of that journey for 

others. 

AYJ Why do you want to bring people 

together through music? 

RENEE Africa Yoga Project was the inspired 

creation of Paige Elenson and Baron 

Baptiste, two of my greatest mentors.They 

spoke with me about AYP at a training a 

few years ago, and it sounded exactly like 

the kind of community project I wanted to 

get involved with.The organisation works to 

expand youth employment throughout 

Africa, using the powerful methodology of 

Baptiste Yoga to create self-sustaining 

leaders who teach yoga and empower their 

communities. Baptiste Yoga combines 

physical practice, meditation, and selfinquiry. 

It’s designed to empower students 

by giving them the tools to uncover their 

potential, reveal their authenticity, tap into 

their passion, and transform the most 

PHOTO: LULULEMON AUS/NZ; BILLY SADIA

significant areas of their life. It’s a 

practice that creates and inspires 

possibility. For me it’s not just a style 

of yoga, it’s a way of being; of living in 

discovery, being in the moment-to-moment 

recognition and letting go of the limiting 

beliefs that don’t serve me.There’s a 

beauty and strength that’s accessible once 

you give yourself permission to be 

unapologetically you, and it’s from that 

place you can create magic in your life, 

and really be for others. 

AYJ How did you use your yoga practice to 

ground you during this time? 

RENEE As I wasn’t able to practice much 

during the program, I discovered that even 

10 minutes in the morning grounded me 

in where I was and what we were up to, 

and the physical grounding offered the 

access point to emotional grounding. 

They say ‘you can’t pour from an empty 

cup’, and so in making sure I held space 

for my experience, I was able to step off 

my mat clearer to hold space for theirs. 

AYJ How can people get involved in Africa 

Yoga Project? 

RENEE There are so many ways to get 

involved (and I couldn’t recommend it 

more)! Beyond the teacher training 

program, you can get involved as a 

mentor, or take part in a Seva Safari in 

Kenya. For those interested, head to 

www.africayogaproject.org and see what 

speaks to you. Everything you need to 

know is there, and the staff behind it are 

incredibly helpful if you have any questions. 

AYJ What did your venture as part of the 

project involve? 

RENEE This year, I worked closely with 

Paige and the co-facilitators to develop 

and deliver the 200hr teacher training 

program. There’s also Seva work beyond the 

in-class teaching and discovery, where we 

learnt how to teach yoga to special-needs 

children, spent time building desks and 

painting with the students, and taught 

yoga at some of the AYP outreach locations 

in schools, rehabilitation centres, and 

women’s shelters. 

AYJ What were your first impressions of 

Africa? 

RENEE It’s pretty interesting to go to a place 

where you can drive 20 minutes and see 

lions! I was lucky enough to see a lot of 

Kenya, and the country is so expansive and 

beautiful and almost surreal. It was when 

I was watching giraffes crossing a trail that 

I realised Kenya isn’t just another country, 

it’s a place full of wonder that inspires 

paintings and books and documentariesthere’s 

so much magic to see and be part of. 

AYJ What was it like to teach there? And how 

did it differ from your experiences of teaching 

at home? 

RENEE You know, it’s funny, I really thought 

I would need to be different somehow, and 

yet part of the beauty of yoga is that it’s 

accessible, and its benefits and teachings 

are universal. We are all the same, we all 

have the same self-doubt, we all suffer from 

fear, we all want people to like us, we all 

compare.It might manifest differently in 

day-to-day life, but ultimately being there 

reminded me of our humanness, and the 

likeness of the human spirit from person 

to person regardless of circumstances. 

What I loved most about it was their 

willingness to play in their practiceto 

go for it, not just physically, but 

emotionally. The students are so beautiful 

and expressive, cheering and clapping, 

encouraging each other. We’re a little bit 

more restrained here. 


85

inspiration 

MEET MY TEACHER 

TheGiftof 

Do you want to shine a light on 

your teacher? Send nominations 

to editor@yogajournal.com.au 

YOGA 

Teacher Doreena Scales from Peace Yoga has helped a 

generation practice yoga and loved every minute. 


86 

Doreena shares her 

favourite things 

Retreat 

Dharamsala, North India. 

Surrounded by the monks 

of His Holiness the Dalai 

Lamas, under the snow-capped 

Himalayas. 

Food 

Love Ayurvedic cooking and Israeli 

Lebanese food: tabouli, falafel, 

hummus. Turkish DarDar. 

Favourite place to 

meditate 

Anywhere in nature. 

Books 

1. Autobiography of a Yogi by 

Paramahansa Yogananda 

2. Living with the Himalayan Masters 

by Swami Rama 

3. Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra 

4. Well Adjusted Babies 

by Dr Barnham. 

5. I loved reading my daughters 

“Twilight” books. 

How did you start your yoga 

journey? 

My mum took me to my first yoga class 

at 14 years old to the YWCA. When I was 

19-years-old we went together to a 

weekly class for about a year and it is one 

of my favourite memories. These classes 

had a profound effect on me. I was 

always practicing yoga at home or on 

holidays at the beach and becoming a 

“brown rice eater” after that. This was 

long before it was fashionable. 

What drew you to practice? 

I hadn’t been to a yoga class since I was 

19 but then when I was 36 I took a friend 

who was experiencing deep grief in the 

hope that yoga could help alleviate their 

depression and anxiety. It not only 

worked wonders for my friend but also 

felt like “coming home” for me as well. I 

was re-hooked. 

How do you live your yoga? 

I live my yoga by breathing. I love my 

morning practice and was fortunate to 

have been given a “Dina Charya” daily 

regime, including self- massage, which 

feels like a gift every time. Every class I 

teach is a joy and I always feel better 

afterwards and hopefully the students do 

as well. Luckily for me I teach many 

classes per week and am blessed with 

students I love very dearly. 

What has been yoga’s greatest 

gifts to you? 

I truly believe I am so much healthier 

than I could have ever been if I did not 

practice yoga, physically, mentally and 

emotionally. Health is our greatest 

wealth but not only my own health but 

the health and happiness of my family 

also. Being a yoga family has impacted 

positively on us all–my husband and 

three children also. I’m sure it has helped 

to mould the people we have all become 

over our lifetime together. I have been so 

fortunate to have been given the 

opportunity to teach the philosophies of 

yoga as well as the physical postures so I 

find the richness of the studies promotes 

the sweetest dialogue in my head. Yoga 

answers my questions and gives me 

guidance and support when the world 

“bumps me on the head”. Within The 

Vedas and Upanishads all wisdom is 

made available to us all and tools are 

provided like life rafts to assist us to 

navigate life’s journey. 

How do you share and spread 

what you’ve learned? 

I share what I have learnt during yoga 

classes and retreats and also during 

teacher training. The beautiful thing 

about growing older is being able to 

share my experiences and my mistakes 

and the lessons they have taught me. 

What do you try to inspire in 

your students? 

I try to inspire my students to be happy. I 

try to inspire them to believe to dare that 

they are so much more than they could 

ever dream they could be. I try to inspire 

them that the shape of their soul is 

unique and irreplaceable and they are 

each born because they have their own 

special gifts and talents and that they are 

born to contribute these gifts and talents 

to make the world better. I try to inspire 

them to realise if they think they can 

achieve something they will see only 

opportunities but if they think something 

is too hard they will see only obstacles. I 

try to inspire them to commit, to make 

their San Kalpa. And that if they do that 

providence will step up and help them to 

achieve their dreams. 

PHOTO: DOREENA SCALES

your practice 

ANATOMY 

CORE 

HIP 

ABDUCTORS 

VASTUS 

MEDIALIS 

OBLIQUE 

(VMO) 


88 

QUADRICEPS 

VASTUS 

LATERALIS 

RECTUS 

FEMORIS 

QUADRICEPS 

TENDON 

TIBIA 

} 

PATELLA 

FEMUR 

PATELLO- 

FEMORAL 

JOINT 

PATELLAR 

TENDON 

JOINT MATTERS 

When you flex and extend 

your knee, there’s some 

rotation in both the femur 

(thighbone) and the tibia 

(shinbone); these actions can 

wear and tear on the patella 

over time. So, the more 

you can stabilise the knee 

joint, the healthier 

the knee will remain. 

Body of knowledge 

Put an end to knee pain. 

By Dr. Ray Long 

IN MOST YOGA CLASSES, you’ll often 

(hopefully!) hear cues meant to help 

protect your knees. For example, angle 

the knee no more than 9o degrees, or, 

if you feel pain in your knees, back off. 

And perhaps one of the most popular: 

strengthen your quadriceps to lift your 

kneecaps. Cues like these are crucial, 

as injuries and pain originating in the 

patella, or kneecap, can be quite 

common—and quite slow to heal. 

However, what these cues don’t 

address is the importance of the core, 

hip abductors (outer hips), and glute 

muscles when it comes to knee health. 

That’s because traditionally, treatment 

for pain in the front of the knee 

focused on strengthening the 

innermost quadriceps muscle, called 

the vastus medialis oblique, or VMO. 

It was thought that when the VMO 

was weak, the patella was more likely 

to drift out of alignment, ultimately 

causing issues. Interestingly, new 

findings published in the Archives of 

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 

and the Journal of Athletic Training 

show that strengthening the core, 

hip abductors, and glutes—in 

addition to stretching the quads—is 

actually much more effective at easing 

knee pain than solely strengthening 

the VMO. 

continued on page 90

Target your core, outer hips, glutes, 

and quads to find knee-pain relief 

Natarajasana 

(Lord of the Dance Pose), variation 

Start with this pose to release tension in the quads and 

strengthen the glutes—both of which are key actions for 

preventing and treating front-of-the-knee (anterior) pain. 

Using a wall for balance, bend one leg and, with the opposite 

hand, lasso the ankle with a strap to draw the heel toward the 

buttock. At the same time, squeeze your buttocks to engage 

your gluteus maximus on the bent-knee side. (Engaging your 

glutes tilts your pelvis back and down and focuses the stretch in 

the rectus femoris, while bending the knee stretches the other 

three quad muscles.) Hold for 30 seconds, and then switch 

sides. Repeat three times. 

PHOTOS: RICK CUMMINGS; MODEL: NICOLE WIENHOLT; STYLIST: GEORGIA BENJOU; 

HAIR/MAKEUP: BETH WALKER; TOP AND BOTTOMS: LULULEMON; BRA: ATHLETA 

Supta Padangusthasana 

(Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose), rotated variation 

This pose helps to stretch and strengthen the hip abductors against resistance. Lying on your 

back, bring one leg across the body. Use your opposite hand or a strap to hold the outer arch 

of your foot. When you feel a stretch in your side hip, press up into your hand or strap, as if you 

were coming out of the pose. This strengthens the abductor muscles at the hip. At the same 

time, engage the quadriceps, including the VMO, by turning the top leg slightly outward as you 

straighten the knee, which draws the kneecap into alignment. Hold for 30 seconds, and then 

switch sides. Repeat three times. 


89

your practice 

ANATOMY 

Virabhadrasana I 

(Warrior Pose I) 

Practice Warrior I to strengthen the glutes of the back leg, while 

stabilizing the hip and the ankle of the front leg. To protect your 

front knee, progress gently toward, but not beyond, 90 degrees 

of flexion. Press the balls and outsides of both feet into your 

mat at the same time: This grounds the legs and lifts the arches. 

Engage the glutes of your back leg as you straighten that knee; 

very subtly drag the back foot toward the midline. In the front 

leg, imagine simultaneously pressing the inside and outside 

of that knee into an immoveable object like a post. This is a 

co-contraction of the muscles around the hip, and takes a bit of 

practice. Feel your hip settle into the socket. This action stabilizes 

and aligns the knee, strengthens the muscles of the hip, and 

improves your sense of joint position. 

FINISH Close with some core work, such as Forearm 

Plank. Press the forearms into the mat as you attempt to 

drag them toward your feet, simultaneously and firmly 

contracting the glutes. 


90 

continued from page 88 

To understand how these muscles affect 

the knee joint, it’s helpful to think of the 

knee in the context of the entire leg and 

pelvis. The patella is a mobile bone 

structure between the foot and the pelvis; 

any wobble that travels up from the foot or 

down from the pelvis affects the patella. 

While instability in the foot or ankle can 

contribute to knee pain and dysfunction, it’s 

a less likely culprit than instability in the 

pelvis—which is where a strong core, hip 

abductors, and glutes come into play. 

These three muscle groups all surround 

the pelvic bowl, which means the stronger 

and stabler they are, the stabler the pelvis 

will be. This is important, because the 

orientation of the femur (thighbone) at the 

hip joint causes a small degree of normal 

rotation at the knee joint during flexion and 

extension. However, any pelvic instability 

caused by imbalances in the core, hip 

abductors, and/or glute muscles creates 

pressure that travels to the knee, leading 

to abnormal wear and tear that can 

potentially cause chronic pain. For 

example, internally rotated femurs create 

a knock-kneed position, called valgus, an 

angle that’s frequently associated with 

anterior knee pain. Strengthening the hip 

extensors, which externally rotate the 

femurs, helps to counterbalance this 

pain-inducing angle. 

Of course, focusing on the muscles 

that provide pelvic stability alone isn’t 

enough; the quadriceps are still important 

for healthy knees. You must couple 

strengthening the VMO—that innermost 

quad muscle—with improving flexibility 

in the quads, in particular the rectus 

femoris, which crosses the hip and the 

patella. When this quad muscle is tight, as 

is common with most people, it can inhibit 

kneecap mobility and prohibit proper 

kneecap alignment, leading to abnormally 

high pressure where the patella connects 

to the femur. But when you keep that 

muscle flexible, the kneecap is free to move 

as it should. 

The poses and cues on page above and 

on the previous page will go a long way 

toward helping you stabilise your pelvis by 

strengthening your core, outer hips, and 

glutes, as well as by releasing tension from 

the quadriceps. The result? Happy, healthy, 

pain-free knees. 

OUR PROS Teacher Dr. Ray Long is an 

orthopedic surgeon and the founder of 

Bandha Yoga, a website and book series 

dedicated to the anatomy of yoga. He trained 

extensively with B.K.S. Iyengar. Model Nicole 

Wienholt is a Boulder, US–based yoga teacher 

and the co-founder of Yoga Pod, a national 

chain of studios.

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AYJ DIRECTORY | TEACHER TRAINING 


92 

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93

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Mediation Made Easy 

5 Steps to feeling grounded. 

Poses of the Month 

How to move from Utkatasana to Garudasana 

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98 

inspiration 

AYJ INTERVIEW 

Faith healer 

Atira Tan, 36, is a yoga teacher and founder of The Art2Healing 

Project, a non-profit organisation that supports the recovery 

of sex traffic survivors in Asia with creative arts therapies and 

awareness-based practices such as yoga and meditation. 

Atira, who has degrees in counselling and art therapy, began 

Art2Healing because she felt a deep sense of empathy with sex 

trafficking victims and the trauma they endured. She has had 

an extraordinary personal journey and strongly believes she 

healed herself from cervical cancer ten years ago. Despite the 

validity of her claims, Atira’s unshakable faith and her dedication 

to reconnecting with her body through yoga and ayurveda, has 

allowed her to help and teach other women how to recover 

from their own trauma. By Tamsin Angus-Leppan 

How did you first come to yoga? 

I was about 16, I had just moved from 

Singapore to Melbourne and I was seeking 

answers to some spiritual experiences I 

had been having at that time. I still 

remember the visceral feeling of coming 

out of my first yoga class; I just felt so 

expanded, incredibly open and in love with 

life. I was hooked on the physical asana 

practice and I adopted the worldview of 

yoga. 

How did you become a yoga 

teacher? 

In 2004, I set out to travel the world. But I 

went first to Cambodia and ended up 

staying and working with sex traffic 

survivors there for three years. I was 

working as an art therapist and mental 

health practitioner and I was doing my 

yoga practice as a way of sustaining 

myself. Later I worked in the Burmese 

refugee camps too, in the northern part of 

Thailand. In 2006 while I was there, I was 

diagnosed with cervical cancer. It was a 

shock to me … I was vegan, I wasn’t even 

drinking coffee, and I was doing lots of 

yoga. I went on a remarkable journey of 

healing and self-discovery because after 

my first operation, I refused to go for more 

operations and I got this sense that I was 

able to heal myself. So I took a whole year 

off work and lived in an ashram in Thailand, 

and dedicated my efforts to healing 

myself. A great part of my 

healing journey was ayurveda 

and I was doing yoga and 

meditating many hours a 

day, changing my diet and 

researching the core of my 

illness. After eight months, 

I was clear of the cancer. 

After this I did my first 

teacher training in Thailand. 

How did this experience 

influence you? 

It was a really important part of my life 

because now, what I teach to the women, 

is based on an experience of healing 

myself. The women I work with have a lot 

of reproductive health issues as well, for 

example, HIV and STIs and they don’t 

have good medical care. A lot of what we 

do at Art2Healing is teaching women how 

to love themselves from the inside, so 

reconnecting to those places in their body 

that might have held traumatic 

experiences. We try to help women have a 

visceral experience of the body and, in my 

experience, yoga has been an incredible 

tool for recovery. Being born Asian, I grew 

up with the conditioning that women are 

lesser than men even though in Singapore 

the issue of gender disparity is not as full 

on as in other parts of Asia. The cancer 

brought me to a deeper place of healing, 

not from the mind but from the body, and 

so I was able relate to the women I work 

with in a deeper way. During my healing I 

had to reclaim my own sovereignty as a 

woman and break through my unconscious 

conditioning. Before that when I worked 

with the women, it was more intellectual, 

empathic, but not from my own 

experience. The concept of self-love and 

self-care is quite foreign for these women 

because their whole life is about serving 

others. Yoga reconnects them with their 

body in a safe way, it gives them time for 

themselves, and they feel worthy of love 

and care. 

What are you currently 

working on? 

After the Nepal earthquake, a lot of 

traffickers came in straight away to take 

away girls who’d lost their families and 

homes. A lot of Nepalese children are 

vulnerable to trafficking and have been 

trafficked to India and China. The 

situation is pretty dire. We’ve started a 

long-term psychological first aid program 

there. My constant inspiration is the 

joy these women and girls have. 

Despite having lost everything, they 

have this connection to joy as a state of 

being. I see their gratitude, acceptance of 

what comes, and their courage, and it 

moves me immensely. 

For more information about Atira’s Nepal project, 

visit www.yogathonforpeace.org 

Australian Yoga Journal holds no responsibility for the 

content of claims made during an interview. 

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