Yoga in Daily Life Society (New Zealand) 23 Jessie St. Wellington.
Ph: (04) 801 7012 [email protected]
Hari hi OM and Kia Ora! www.yogaindailylife.org.nz
OntheoccasionofParamhansSwamiMaheshwaranandajibeingawardedtheBharatGauravLife-
timeAchievementAwardbySanskritiYuvaSansthaon23July2014weproudlypresentthe
achievementsofYogainDailyLifeinNewZealand.
First visit, incorporating YIDL Society and starting classes
InMarch1992SwamijiwasinvitedtoNewZealandforthefirsttimeandhasreturnedalmost
everyyearsince.
TheNewZealand−IndianYogaVedantaSocietyInternationalwasincorporatedinMarch1993
asaCharitableTrust.ThenamehassincebeenchangedtoYogainDailyLifeSociety(New
Zealand).
InSeptember1993,YogainDailyLifeclassesstartedinanashram/flatinNewtown,Wellington
and1994inhiredhallsandaprivatehomeinAuckland.
1998and1999classeswereofferedinChristchurch.
In2004classeswereofferedinNorthShore(Auckland).
In2005classesstartedtobeheldinKapiticoast.
Sri Mahaprabhudeep Ashram, Wellington
WiththeopeningoftheYogainDailyLifeCentreinWillisStreet,WellingtoninFebruary1998,a
newdimensionwasreached.Thenextsteptookplacewhen,inJanuary2004,theSri
MahaprabhudeepAshramwasopenedinJessieStreet.ThisAshramisabigbuildingwithalarge
hall,inthecentreofWellingtoncityandyetveryquiet.Studentsappreciatethiscalmspace,
wheretheycanregainenergy,theysayitislikeanoasisinthecity.
Opening ceremony with Yagya 2004:
Sri Mahaprabhudeep Ashram 2014:
Auckland Centre
AucklandYogainDailyLifeCentreislocatedinthemainstreetofcentralsuburbOnehunga.This
locationgivesexcellentexposureandthesignsonthebuildingaredoingtheirquietbutvaluable
advertisingjob.Inside,thereisanicespaciousroomwithhighcathedralceilingandwindowson
twosidesforgreatnaturallight.Thecentrehasapleasantfeelandgoodenergy.Peoplesaythey
likecomingtothecentreandthisisoneofthemajordifferencesbetweenadedicatedyogacentre
andvariousgyms,communityroomsandotherplaceswhereyogaclassesareheld.
Sri Devpuriji Ashram, Raumati Beach
AboutanhournorthofWellingtonisRaumatiBeachontheKapiticoast.
TheSriDevpurijiAshramislocatedintheheartofRaumatiBeach,closetoshopsandtransport.
Thepeacefulatmosphereofthisformerchurchistheidealenvironmentforpractisingyoga.
Opening ceremony with Yagya 2007:
Sri Devpuriji Ashram 2014:
Swami Madhuram Puri and his flute
SwamiMadhuramPuriislivingandteachingatSriDevpurijiAshram.Heisagiftedmusician
andhasproducedseveralrelaxationCDswhichareusedinYogainDailyLifeclasses
throughouttheworld.HegivesNadaYogaConcertsplayedonBansuri,theIndianbamboo
flute,ShakuhachiandDuduk,thetraditionalArmenianfolkinstrument.Bhajans-andKirtan
eveningsareheldregularly.
Meditation Huts in Waikanae (Kapiti Coast)
In2002landinthelovelynaturalcountrysidewasboughtwiththeintentiontobuilda
retreatcentre.In2009threemeditationhutswerebuilttogivepeopletheopportunity
toretire,findpeace,reconnectwithnatureandmeditate.Theyaremeantforprivate
solomeditationretreatsorsmallgroups.In2014theywereequippedwithsimplebut
adequatefacilities.
Cookingfacilitieswithfilteredstreamwater,
foldingoutsofa,tables;toiletandshowerareoutside
Planting seeds for peace in the world
AbunathAvadhuta,aspecialtitlegiventoSwamiMaheshwarananda,metwiththousandsof
peopleincludingcommunity,nationalandgovernmentleadersfromthroughoutthecountry,
givinginspirationanddiscussingtheissueshumanityfaces.
World Peace Summit
InMarch2008the7thInternationalWorldPeaceSummitwasheldinWellingtonattendedby
nationalandinternationalspeakersaddressingpressingissuesfacingmankindandtheplanet.
RiccaardoeDiDoneFrontrow:MohanIyer,NoelCheer,Dr.LiladharGupta, RiccaardoeDiDone,SwamiMaheshwarananda
MaoriperforminggroupatopeningofconferenceKaumatuaSamandJuneJacksonDeputyMayorIanMcKinnontooktheopportunitytoexpresshisappreciation“it isanhonourto
meetsomeonewhohasdevotedhislifetopeaceanditisagreathonourforWellingtontohostthe
WorldPeaceSummit,aconferencedevotedtointernationalpeaceandreconciliation.Thefactthat
somanyofusareheretodayisanindicationofhowstronglywefeelaboutcreatingharmonyinthe
world. The World Peace Summit theme is climate change and Wellington is committed to
sustainability.Therewillalwaysbedebateabouthowtoachievesustainability,butthemainthing
isthatwehavetherealisationthatweneedtoworktowardsit.Thereisnodebateaboutthewillto
liveinharmony,decencyandrespectwitheachother”.
Peace tree planting
DuringtheoccasionoftheWorldPeaceSummit2008thefirstpeacetree,aTotaratree,was
plantedWellington,CentralParkinBrooklyn,nearthechildrens’playground.ParamhansSwami
Maheshwaranandasaidthat“theTotaratreerepresentsstrengthandpowerandstandingtallin
timesofadversity,sowhenchildrenplayheretheywillberemindedofthedignityofthepeople
ofNewZealand”.
VishwagurujiwithDeputyMayorIanMcKinnon,CentralPark,WellingtonIn2012afurtherfourtreeswereplantedintheWellingtonregion(ontheKapitiCoast,inPorirua
andLowerHutt,anotherinWellingtononMountVictoria)OnetreewasalsoplantedAuckland
(Onehunga).
Thepeacetreesrepresentanenduringsymbolofthepotentialforpeacewithinandbetween
individualsandnations.Asthetreegrows,wealsowishthatpeaceinourheartsandintheworld
willgrow.“Peacebeginswithinonesownheart”asSwamijilikestosay.
Invitation to Commonwealth day
InMarch2012H.H.SwamiMaheshwaranandawasinvitedtotheobservanceandreceptiononthe
CommonwealthDay,Wellington,otherparticipantsincludedtheRtHonMrs.JudithCollins,NZ
Minister,Mr.Nelson,DeanofWellingtonandAdmiralSteer.
Invitation to the Celebration of 66th Independence Day
InAugust2012ParamahansSwamiMaheshwaranandawasinvitedtotheCelebrationof66th
IndependenceDayinAuckland,organizedbyBhartiyaSamajCharitableTrust,participants:Hon
MelissaLee,theParliamentarySecretaryofEthnicAffairs(representingtheRt.Hon.JohnKey,
PrimeMinister),MembersofParliament,Councillors,MembersofLocalCouncilBoard,Ethnic
PanelMembers,variousbusinessandcommunityleaders.
Meeting of cultures:
InApril2014SwamijimetwithCarolineHerewiniandKathyPatira-McGillofNgaWhare
Whakaruruhau0Aotearoa(NationalCollectiveofIndependentWomen’sRefuges)
Different activities all the years:
Regularsatsangswereandareheldinthecentreswhereclassesareoffered.
WeekendYogaandMeditationretreats,HathaYogaKriyas,children’syoga,classesforpeople
withspecialneeds,onetooneteaching,teacherstrainingcourse,Nadayoga,concerts,bhajanand
kirtanevenings,vegetariancookingclasses,filmandmovieevenings,musicworkshops,ayurveda
workshops,pregnancyclasses,pre-natalworkshopsforcouples,women’syogaandwellbeing
workshopshavebeenoffered.
Cooking workshops
Some impressions of our blessed time together:
Thank you very much for your endless support, love and light on our exciting
journey as human beings!
Yoga in Daily Life New Zealand
