Anahata yoga centre, the spiritual heart of the laid back Golden Bay, can be found beating at the top of the Takaka Hill. From Takaka its just 10 minutes to the settlement of Motupipi and then a slightly hair-raising 20 minute drive up a winding farm track into the clouds. It’s sure as hell worth the effort to get there.

Founded by Swami Karma Karuna, around 25 years ago, Anahata is a truly peaceful place, surrounded by native bush and with stunning views over Golden Bay. The property is large, around 20 acres with houses, small huts and a yoga shala nestled beautifully into its natural environment. There is a sizeable weka population, wekas being close cousins of the Kea in terms of their inquisitiveness and opportunistic pinching of anything looking either shiny or edible.

Anahata is the fourth chakra or energy centre according to the Yogic traditions.
It is often called the “heart” centre, symbolising the qualities of compassion, acceptance, universal love, selflessness and devotion. That sort of sums up the place which is home to a constant (but ever changing) group of karma yogis and retreat guests. The karma yogis are the volunteer workers who keep the building and grounds looking clean, maintained and healthy. It’s not just about work as “action” but work with meditative awareness. Slowing down, being conscious and thereby seeing the world and our place in it in a new light.

Jolanda and I had been karma yogis for around 6 weeks prior to Christmas, staying in Karma Karuna’s house while she was in Australia visiting her Mum. This time our stay was shorter – around two weeks but a very different two weeks in terms of the experience. Prior to Christmas the place was quiet with no retreats and a skeleton crew of karma yogis maintaining the place. This time we were fortunate to experience both a yin yoga workshop for the karma yogi team (yin is where you basically hold each pose for a few minutes) and a chakra course where we able to join external guests to learn about the energy points and flows in the body. I was also on the end of both the weed eater and mower – and loved every minute of being outside and working a sweat.

Anahata has strong eco principles. Everything grown in the extensive vegetable gardens is organic and based on permaculture principles, there is no reticulated electricity with solar panels providing light and power and water from the well is used with conscious awareness. However it’s the people that make the place for me. Everyone we met was different in terms of their background and where they came from, but all shared a bond of compassion, kindness and awareness that gives Anahata its real energy.

This is the last stop on our upper South Island 2021 tour and I’m sort of pleased to be heading home but also wondering how I will take this experience and learnings with me.

Namaste . . .