A gently facilitated hatha yoga class suitable for all age groups and levels of experience and ability, with Rishi.
UPDATE: Now at 25 Ewing Rd, Riverside, WHANGĀREI - originally in the hall at St John's Church Centre (the Golden Church).
A 75-minute general (for all) class of traditional hatha yoga āsana (postures/exercises) with breath awareness, sometimes a little prānāyāma (specialized breathing techniques), and a short yoga nidrā (deep relaxation).
Come along and experience it for a 3-class pass for $30 if it's your first time with us. Keep it at this rate on a card that has no expiry and is shareable.
All welcome. Work however is manageable - and comfortable - for you.
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INSTRUCTOR: Rishi Iyer
Rishi has a BMus(Hons), specializing in classical singing. He has worked with NZ Opera in the chorus of various productions and is often in local shows with Opera North and the Whangārei Choral Society.
Growing up in a yoga teaching environment, he decided to do his yoga teacher training. In 2022, Rishi attended a series of week long sessions - with follow up study and practice required after each one - to obtain a RYT200 yoga teaching qualification from Prema-Heart Yoga School at Ritual Yoga on Waiheke Island, Hauraki Gulf. He intends to follow up with a 300-hour course there.
Over the past 10 years, he has worked with Swami Ānandarādhā Saraswati (Rādhe) in the Northland classes and workshops, teaching all classes run by Shraddha Yoga and Meditation in 2024, and most of them in 2025 and 2026 also.
Having a father who is Brahmin, from India, it seems that Rishi may have genetically inherited an ability with pronunciation of Sanskrit. Admittedly, this is probably enhanced by proficiency singing in other languages. However, he has a particular interest in chanting and/or singing Sanskrit mantra and kirtan. He usually chants the short universal mantra Om (A-U-M) 3 times to both open and close a yoga session.
OUR TYPE OF YOGA
Our classes are largely Satyananda-focused, with practices from the Bihar School of Yoga forming the foundation.
Although our approach to āsana practice is gentle, anyone can work in a way that feels 'stronger' - or you can make an āsana 'softer' - to better suit ability/need.
We give a short yoga nidra (deep relaxation) of 10-15 minutes at the end of each class.
WHAT YOGA CAN DO FOR YOU
Yoga is a science that can have huge benefits for body, mind and emotions. All benefits are interconnected and could include:
strengthening and toning of muscles;
stretching and moving to increase flexibility in joints (very important for all joints, including the spinal vertebrae);
balance improvement in standing poses, both still and moving (this also transfers to improvement in day-to-day activities, such as walking and turning) and overall enhancement of physical coordination and posture...
Prices through us:
Casual fee
The standard casual/drop-in fee is $20.
This is reduced to $15 with a Community Services Card or Super Gold Card, if students holding a CSC or SGC want to continue casually after the first time.
The $20 fee is based on a rate of $15 per hour for classes and courses (our classes are one-and-a-quarter hours).
Concession cards
There is NO EXPIRY on any of our concession cards, so keep using them at any venue in any term (of any year!) until completed. You can even use these with a partner/whānau/friend/friends.
$78 for a 6-class concession card ($13 per class).
$110 for an 11-class concession card ($10 per class). this is the most popular option.
$210 for 22 classes - 2 x 11-class cards (~$9.50 per class).
027 7104 347 (Rishi)
Other city day classes are at this same venue (church hall) on Tuesday at 10am or at the Old Library in the Bowie Room on Wednesday at 9.30am.
Full schedule: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Awkz43Rb1/
