Nau mai haere mai Tāmaki Makaurau!
We are pleased to announce our very first Yoga retreat organized in collaboration with Āwhina Wellness Limited and with support from Auckland Unlimited. Join us on the weekend of the 2nd-3rd of July in Tāmaki Makaurau to choose from 4 elemental classes followed by nutritious food and connection.
The focus of this event is to celebrate gathering together for Matariki - the Māori New Year, slowing down to connect with ourselves, others and nature, and setting intentions for the year ahead.
Each complimentary session of this mini retreat is centered around the teachings of the philosophy of Yoga, Te Ao Māori and the elements of nature.
We will be running 4 Yoga classes with experienced Auckland-based teachers with a specific elemental focus - Earth to help ground the body, Water to find flow and fluidity, Fire to ignite heat and blood flow through the body and Air to end the weekend with a sense of lightness and relaxation.
Each class is free to attend and will also incorporate different live music and sounds including waiata Māori, to provide a uniquely crafted journey for each elemental focus.
We will have delicious, nourishing local food and quality time to connect and network with others after each class.
We acknowledge that maintaining a yoga practice in the last few years has been challenging due to the constant change in our environment and limited access to events, so we are hoping to create this space away from life's fullness and help us return to a routine of self-care, growth and development.
The word Āwhina in Māori means to nurture, take care of and assist. It is this feeling that we hope for everyone joining this mini retreat to experience over the weekend.
The Details
Taking place on the weekend of the 2nd-3rd of July 2022 at the Sapphire Room in Ponsonby Central, this will be a one-of-a-kind free yoga retreat in Auckland and perhaps an unprecedented event in New Zealand. Due to space limitations at the venue, each class will be limited to approximately 60 attendees.
Passes are live! Please visit our Eventbrite listing to register now.
If you have any questions, concerns or would like to get involved, get in touch via emailing namaste@valkayoga.co.nz
Meet the Team
Kayla Atkins-Gordine
Kayla Atkins-Gordine is a catalyst in merging the dual cultures of Aotearoa, embodying the space in between indigenous and western worlds. Her upbringing speaking Te Reo Māori called her on a heart journey to discover her whakapapa from Ngāti Porou. Her unique background has shaped her worldview through two contrasting perspectives and has nurtured a deep connection to both our land and people, the seen and the unseen. She has immersed herself in a variety of meditation and yoga practices, trainings, teachings, wellness courses and shares her voice and vibration through sound and Māori Waiata. Her business creation of Āwhina Wellness, as a Holistic Health Coach, is a source of inspiration to help others embark on the journey of self-enquiry, connection, truth, and transformation.
Taane Mete
Belonging to the Ngāti Kahungunu me Ngāti Koriki Kahukura, and born and raised in Napier, Aotearoa New Zealand, Taane is the youngest of seven and was a free spirited and wildly nomadic child who began imagining his career at a young age. Little did his younger self realize that daydreaming a world that was euphoric, blissful, and creative would become his spiritual life journey. Mete draws on 4 decades of knowledge in dance, yoga and creative facilitation in his work.
Danny Garg
When founding Valka Yoga, Danny Garg also coined the term Yogapreneur to describe his role, bridging the values of yoga and sustainability with an entrepreneurial and problem-solving mindset. A self-confessed Third Culture Kid, having grown up between the UK, India and New Zealand, Danny has sought to draw on the best of Western and Eastern ideologies and imbibe them into a sustainable yoga, health and wellness brand. When he’s not on the yoga mat, he’s often talking about yoga mats. And when he’s not doing that, he’s often practicing movement and calisthenics.
