6th Edition
Saturday, 21st June - from 7:30 am
Yoga for One Earth, One Health
Wanaka Community Hub
34 McDougall St - Wanaka
Join us for the 6th annual International Day of Yoga (IDY) in Wānaka — a day to reconnect with yourself, with nature, and with our local community through the practice of yoga.
This year’s international theme, Yoga for One Earth, One Health, invites us to reflect on the deep connection between personal wellbeing and the health of our planet. Through movement, breath, and stillness, we can cultivate harmony within and around us.
🧘♀️ A full day of yoga classes taught by passionate teachers
💛 Donation-based (suggested donation: $25 for a day pass, regardless the quantity of sessions you'll attend)
🌿 All proceeds donated to St John and Cold Kids Campaign.
🎶 Kirtan session to close the event with a visiting group from Queenstown
🍲 Warm dal bhat soup will be available for purchase from 11 am, thanks to the generosity of The Spice Room, offering a nourishing option for those attending the event.
Whether you’re new to yoga or have been practicing for years, this event is open to everyone. It’s a chance to try new styles, meet other yoga lovers, and support a meaningful cause.
Spots are limited due to space availability. You’re welcome to attend as many classes as you like, just be sure to book each one.
Please, bring your own yoga mat, blocks, blanket and water bottle.
One order per person.
👉 Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @idywanaka and use #idywanaka to help spread the word.
We can't wait to share this day with you. Come as you are.
Disclosure & Photography
Participation in this event is at your own risk. The organiser, teachers, and venue accept no responsibility for injuries or medical conditions that may occur during or after the sessions. We strongly recommend that you consult your doctor before attending, especially if you have any existing health concerns.
By registering for this event, you acknowledge and accept these terms, and you give permission for the organiser and teachers to use photos or videos taken during the event for promotional purposes (website, social media, and others).
Program
Bookings are required for all sessions. This program is subject to change.
Our Sessions
Saturday, 21st
8:00 am - Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with Hands-On Adjustments, with Nati Rossi & Lourdes Sarmiento
In this Ashtanga class, we focus on personalized hands-on adjustments to enhance your practice. Whether you're a beginner or more advanced, expect a class that refines your technique and helps you feel aligned.
8:30 am - Laughter Yoga, with Meetu
30 minutes Join the unique laughter session of yoga powered by Meetu. It’s an introduction to anyone who wants to know what the fuss is all about. It will begin with an introduction to laughter yoga and Meetu sharing personal experiences from her growing up years followed by up-to 15 minutes of the session. Combining the 5 elements of Ayurveda, this session is aimed to ignite the hidden energy within your mind body and soul.
9:00 am - Yoga for Mountain Lovers: Strong, Steady & Open, with Alli Marie
The focus of this class will be: Functional yoga for hikers, skiers and snowboarder (Hips and Twists will be the main focus with a small addition of breathwork.
9:00 am - 108 Sun Salutations, with Lourdes Sarmiento
90 minutes Join me for a powerful practice of 108 Sun Salutations, a moving meditation to honour change, set intentions, and reconnect with your breath and body. It’s a strong and rhythmic flow, ideal for experienced practitioners, but everyone is welcome to join, rest when needed, and move with love.
10:00 am - Kundalini Yoga, with Elle Smith
Kundalini Yoga is an uplifting and dynamic practice that combines yogic technologies such as breathwork (pranayama), chanting (mantra), visualisation, meditation, and movement — interwoven with stillness, integration, and sounds from the gong. Suitable for all levels, with modifications offered.
11:00 am - Sound Journey, with Elle Smith
Receive the myriad benefits of meditation with a fully immersive experience, feeling rich therapeutic sounds through the whole body. You’ll be guided into a relaxed state where you can simply lie down, soften, and receive. The soundscape will take you through moments of rhythm, harmony, the shimmering ethereal, intensity, depth, and stillness... Just bring a mat, blanket, pillow, and an open mind.
11:00 am - Meditation, with Kate Wolfe
Join Kate for a guided session in concentration meditation, where we'll train the mind to rest steadily on a chosen object - such as the body or the breath. This practice helps us develop mental stability and agency, allowing us to shift attention away from repetitive thought patterns and the busyness of daily life. Through one-pointed focus, we create space for a deeper sense of calm, clarity, and inner peace. This session will also gently introduce insight meditation, offering a glimpse into the wisowm that arises from a quiet, attentive mind.
1:00 pm - Iyengar Yoga, with Sirpa
Celebrate the International Day of Yoga with a grounding Iyengar Yoga class that brings clarity, strength, and stillness. Rooted in precision and mindful alignment, this session invites practitioners of all levels to explore the depth of each posture with steadiness and grace - awakening a quiet strength and inner balance.
1:00 pm - Winter Solstice Yoga Flow: Honouring Natural Rhythms, with Sarah Doods
Expect a grounding and invigorating class which will connect you to your breath and your body. You will be guided through a series of asanas, interweaved with pranayama and meditation. I encourage students to listen to the cues of their own body and go inwards with their own practice. I will offer a variety of options depending on your level, so there will be some challenges for those who are looking for it! I look forward to you joining me on the mat :)
2:00pm - Qigong - The Holden Style, with Barbara Junjen
Accessible to all ages and abilities, my Qigong sessions begin with calming breathwork and gentle stretches to awaken the Qi (lifeforce) and quiet the mind. In the second part of the practice we use simple, flowing movements,to circulate the Qi throughout the body. This practice brings physical and mental balance, energy, and inner peace.
2:00 pm - Partner Yoga: Shared Practice for Connection and Joy, with Anaïs & José
In one mat, two individuals become one flowing breath in motion.
Partner Yoga is a creative and supportive practice of shared asanas, mutual stretching, and mindful connection. Through breathwork, counterbalance, and non-verbal communication, we explore trust, play, and presence. Come with a friend, family member, or meet a partner there—this practice welcomes all connections.
3:00 pm - Empowerment Vinyasa Yoga, with Amy Alexander
All levels. This empowerment vinyasa class blends strong, flowing movement with guided meditation and reflective journaling. It’s an invitation to ground into your body, explore powerful coaching questions and leave feeling energized, clear, and deeply connected to yourself and the planet around you.
Bring: A journal and a pen.
3:00 pm - Yoga and the Five Elements, with Keity Garcia
In the "Yoga and the Five Elements" session, we’ll explore how the five elements—earth, water, fire, air, and ether—connect us all to nature. These elements shape our senses and chakras, highlighting our shared connection with the natural world. This is not a practical class, but a conversation when we will share knowledge.
4:00 pm - Yoga Nidra, with Bernadine
Also known as yogic sleep, Yoga Nidra is a guided practice that brings you into a state between wakefulness and sleep, allowing deep physical, mental, and emotional relaxation. Please bring warm clothing and any props or blankets for comfort.
Bernadine will guide the session following the teachings of Swami Satyananda Saraswati, who helped bring this practice to the West in the 20th century.
4:00 pm - Natha Yoga, One Family, We Are, with Chandra Loureiro
Natha Yoga is a practice that includes physical postures along with spiritual and intellectual advancement through a combination of asanas, breathing techniques, and meditation. In this class, you will have a safe space to connect with the body, emotions, and thoughts in the present moment. A true connection where we respect our bodies during the process and observe our emotions and thoughts.
5:00 pm - Yoga Wisdom & Kirtan
90 minutes - A heart-opening experience of sacred sound and spiritual connection.
Join us for beautiful kirtan a joyful, meditative practice of call-and-response chanting guided by Gopala das and woven with timeless yoga wisdom to uplift the soul. Come as you are, leave with your heart full.
About our teachers
Alli Marie
Alli is a passionate yoga teacher blending nature-inspired movement, mindfulness, and athletic strength to help students reconnect with their bodies and breath. She loves creating inclusive, uplifting spaces where people can feel empowered, grounded, and renewed.
Amy Alexander
With a background in acting, dance, and coaching, Amy’s journey into yoga was a natural evolution. Trained at Loka Yoga in Bali, she weaves confidence coaching and voice activation into her classes, sometimes combining them with cacao ceremony—inviting deep inner exploration and empowered release.
Anaïs & José
We are José & Anaïs—an Argentinian and French blend behind Wellness for Couples, a project rooted in authentic connection, physical touch, and mindful presence. Through yoga, bodywork, and shared movement, we create spaces that invite trust, play, and meaningful connection.
Barbara Jungen
Originally from Switzerland, I’ve lived in New Zealand for over 30 years. Qigong transformed my life 20 years ago, easing chronic back pain and deepening my connection to nature. After training with Lee Holden, I’ve been teaching for two years. My classes are gentle, grounding, and open to all.
Bernadine Balle-Guilleux
Bernadine’s teaching is intuitive and playful, grounded in the belief that freedom in movement comes through discipline. Trained in Ashtanga, Hatha, Vinyasa, and Yin, she brings a light-hearted, mindful approach to her classes, creating space for self-exploration and connection within the Wānaka community.
Chandra Loureiro
My name is Chandra, I'm from Argentina and I want to invite you to this gentle practice of yoga in community, a sacred space where we will connect with our deepest selves and with the heart of every soul joining this practice. Through postures, meditation, and breath, we will remember what truly matters: that we are one family, a tribe united by presence, love and intention. Welcome to your sacred place!
Elle Smith
My deepest passion is sharing practices that illuminate, transform, and connect us — both inwardly and outwardly. I discovered sound journeying eight years ago, and was struck by its power as a medium for meditation, inner enquiry, and deep cellular restoration. For the past four years, I’ve been playing the symphonic gong in collaborative journeys and, more recently, as a part of my Kundalini Yoga classes
Kate Wolfe
Kate has been practising yoga for over 25 years, beginning with Satyananda Yoga, and five months in a traditional Indian ashram. She and taught at Yoga Ground for seven years. Now, she runs Dome Yoga in Hāwea Flat and continues her studies in therapeutic yoga and Tibetan Buddhist meditation (Mahamudra) .
Keity Garcia
Keity is a dedicated yoga teacher who weaves breath, movement, and self-inquiry into her classes. Rooted in the philosophy of yoga and inspired by Vedanta, her approach invites reflection and inner clarity. She holds space for each student to explore presence, purpose, and the deeper wisdom of yoga beyond the mat.
Kirtan Journey Queenstown
Kirtan Journey Queenstown is a non-profit group offering free, heart-opening Kirtan sessions every second weekend. Through sacred mantra chanting, we come together in joy, connection, and peace. Everyone is welcome - no experience needed!
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Lourdes Sarmiento
I'm an Ashtanga yoga teacher from Mendoza, Argentina, and have been dedicated to the practice for over 7 years. I've been living in Wanaka for a year and a half and I am excited to share this special session with the local community.
Meetu
Meetu is your yogi next door , who has been a local resident of Wanaka for past 18 years. Growing up on Indian soil, yoga was a natural concept of day to day life. It has formed a base of how Meetu looks at her day now. For her, Yoga is like that almost dying fire that sits inside the centre of the heart and gets ignited every time it is aired. That fire shapes her perspective on life, health and well-being.
Nati Rossi
Originally from Argentina, Nati has called Wanaka home for the past 10 years. Yoga is more than a practice for her—it’s a lifestyle rooted in tuning into the body’s subtle cues both on and off the mat. With training in Vinyasa, Yin and Ashtanga, Nati’s journey has deepened her connection to the beauty within herself, others, and nature.
Sarah Dodds
I have recently moved to Wanaka from the UK. I first began teaching yoga in 2021, after wanting to share my own experience of finding mental freedom through the practice of yoga. My intention is to help my students connect to their bodies and recognise their own power (both mental and physical). I create a safe space for full freedom of expression on and off the mat.
Sirpa Gardner
Certified in Iyengar Yoga since 2016, she brings over 30 years of experience in healthcare and a lifelong dedication to wellbeing. With a Master’s in Health Sciences and ongoing studies with senior Iyengar teachers worldwide, her teaching is rooted in precision and continuous learning. Her classes aim to inspire and be inspired - inviting students to become lifelong learners of this practice.
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