Canada
While Swami Gyandharma inspired the Anahata residents over winter, Swamis Muktidharma and Karma Karuna along with Atma Sundari began their three-month international tour in Canada. First stop, Vancouver, included sold-out programmes and a retreat on stunning Bowen Island (pictured). They enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect and share with many past Anahata and India retreat participants. Then to Toronto area, where they spent two weeks offering a range of programmes such as Ajapa Dharana, Children’s Yoga with Atma Sundari and a Women’s Health day.

Europe
From Canada, Swami Muktidharma was kept busy throughout Europe with large programmes and numerous private sessions. He started in the UK, moved on to Holland (pictured, left), Germany and then Spain. He returned to the UK as an honoured guest at Swami Satsangi’s programme in Harrogate, a major event attracting 800 participants from around the world (see below). Swami Muktidharma gave sessions on subjects such as the granthis, prana and antar mouna. After Harrogate, he travelled to Belgium and Hungary for his first workshops in these countries, enjoying the warm reception he found throughout Europe. Finally he returned to New Zealand for a well- deserved rest!

USA
Swami Karma Karuna and Atma Sundari left Canada for the USA and toured the East Coast and Rocky Mountains sharing workshops on Focus and Intuition, Women’s Health and an uplifting one on Yoga for Depression. They celebrated Guru Purnima with Colorado devotees and with Anahata resident Atmabhava, who had just arrived from New Zealand. The final stop was California where the highlights included a session in an LA jail and one for cancer-recovery patients. These inspiring and brave people touched Swami Karma Karuna deeply. Atma Sundari taught many successful children’s sessions throughout the tour and feedback was that the children loved having a teacher their own age!

In both Europe and North America, Swami Muktidharma, Swami Karma Karuna and Atma Sundari’s workshops continue to provide participants with the inspiration to visit the ashrams in India and come to stay at Anahata Yoga Retreat.

Experiences at Swami Satsangi’s
programme in Harrogate, UK, 2009
“I’d been feeling spiritually thirsty from working in London for a large corporation. After arriving at the event I immediately felt a connection with so many like-minded people. On arrival we were given a programme packed full of fascinating classes with some of the most renowned Satyananda Yoga teachers, which made me feel like a child in a big sweet shop. The hardest thing during the whole event was making my mind up as to which classes to go to! Swami Satsangi’s talks were amazing. She is a very inspiring public speaker with a clear and down to earth way of explaining things. When there wasn’t an inspirational talk going on, there was always kirtan, and it was such a pleasure to be able to dance and sing. After the four-day programme, I felt totally “full” again: physically, emotionally and spiritually.”
– Yoga practitioner Bhakti Mala