Yoga on Top of Auckland Harbour Bridge

With All Blacks such as Beauden Barrett and Ma'a Nonu speaking openly about the benefits of Yoga and seemingly a new form of yoga popping up every year, there's little doubt it's become part of mainstream kiwi culture. There's hot yoga, acro yoga, restorative yoga, bump yoga, yin yoga and even bear yoga. The perception of Yoga as a ‘workout regime’ is slowly changing and its impact on the level of mind is now surfacing up.

According to Meena Satishkumar from Art of Living Foundation, restricting ‘Yoga’ to some physical exercises is like taking the wrapping paper instead of the gift.

The true benefit of yoga says Satishkumar is a precise science for attaining complete harmony between body and mind. It includes of course the physical stretches, but that is just one of eight aspects. The other parts include meditation, breathing techniques, and even knowledge about how to go through life's ups and downs with a smile.

The 4th UN International Day of Yoga will be celebrated on 21st June 2018 in Auckland - celebrating the complete form of yoga. This is a day of celebration and a reminder of the vast knowledge which has transformed the lives of millions around the world. It is a day to show respect to the ambassadors of this knowledge. It is a day for Yoga practitioners to renew their commitment to this knowledge and it is a perfect day for the rest to give this knowledge a chance to work miracles in their lives.

The events for the day will include yoga quizzes and even some daring yoga practitioners breaking into their postures on top of Auckland’s harbour bridge.

Internationally, the number of countries recognising this day is on the rise. In 2017, over 180 countries participated in celebrating this day. The UN headquarters in New York lit up with the word ‘Yoga’ for International Yoga Day 2017. And that was the second consecutive year that the UN headquarters was celebrating the event. The second biggest celebrations of the day in the world after India was in China. Several thousands participated in events across the country including the Great Wall of China. Japan is the only country to set up a Parliamentary League for the promotion of Yoga, which was established during the visit of Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to Japan in April 2017.

Art of Living Foundation in New Zealand along with the support from local businesses, have organised the following events for 21st June 2018.

9:30am - YOGA ON TOP OF AUCKLAND HARBOUR BRIDGE For the first time ever in New Zealand, Yoga practitioners will be striking a sequence of yoga poses on top of Auckland Harbour Bridge

12:15pm - FLASHMOB EVENT in Takutai Square, Britomart Experience Yoga in Celebration! This is not your ordinary flash mob event. The theme for this flash mob is,

Step out from your mind & experience the real Freedom. This is Yoga!

Yoga can be fun, loud, exciting, colourful, sensational and yet calm and relaxing. A group of Auckland yoga practitioners will be presenting a Yoga and Dance fusion to an upbeat music in Takutai Square, Britomart. Registrations for this event are open- https://tinyurl.com/idyflashmob

12:20pm - FREE 30min MIDDAY YOGA in Takutai Square, Britomart The flash mob event will be followed by a 30 min relaxing Yoga session for public. Registrations for this event is open - https://tinyurl.com/idylunchyoga

6:15pm - FREE YOGI QUIZ NIGHT in Lululemon, Britomart Test your knowledge on yoga by participating in this "Yogi Quiz" with some great spot prizes (From Little Bird Organics, Art of Living Foundation and some surprises). A great opportunity to learn more about Yoga! Registrations for this event is open- https://tinyurl.com/idyyogiquiz

7:15pm - KIRTAN & DHYAN YOGA in Lululemon, Britomart We conclude the evening with Music (Kirtans) and Guided Meditation in Lululemon, Britomart.

For details of the event, please visit - https://www.artofliving.org/nz-en/international-yoga-day

Facebook Event Page - https://www.facebook.com/events/580663585638715??ti=ia

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