Yoga event aims to contribute to wellness of community
After teaching yoga all over the world, one Wanaka woman has been using her love for wellness to raise money for local charities while celebrating International Yoga Day.
Originally from Brazil, local yoga instructor Keity Garcia moved to town in 2019 after spending some time travelling around Asia and teaching yoga in India.
When she made the move to Wānaka, she checked if there were any events celebrating the International Day of Yoga only to find the day was not acknowledged the way she hoped it would be.
The day is proclaimed by the United Nations and celebrated worldwide on June 21 every year.
Ms Garcia took it upon herself to organise an annual event that would bring together yoga teachers, offering locals a full day of classes while also raising money for local charities.
The first celebration took place right after one of the Covid lockdowns and was successful in its ability to bring people together after a hard time.
"I also had this motivation because everybody was struggling with the lockdown. So I said, this is a great opportunity for people to come together," she said.
This year the event will celebrate its sixth edition in Wānaka, with donations going towards St John and Community Link's Cold Kids Campaign.
Ms Garcia added that the classes for this year will be held at the Wānaka Community Hub and will focus on the international theme, Yoga for One Earth, One Health.
"It's very connected with how we deal not only with ourselves but how we are connected with the earth because the base of yoga is basically we are part of the universe."
The classes are on for the whole day and include a range of practices such as laughter yoga, sound journey and meditation.
The event is also welcoming Kirtan Journey Queenstown, a group that teaches the practice of Kirtan, where participants are taught how to sing mantras with music in the background.
The event is donation-based, with a suggested donation of $25 for the day but participants are welcome to donate as much or as little as they would like.
Over the years the event has grown, attracting more people and raising more money.
Last year alone, $1600 was raised, with half being given to Community Link and the other half donated to Community Hub.
Ms Garcia said their record number of attendees was during the event's fourth year, when 135 people took part in the sessions.
As well as attracting participants, the event has also brought a range of teachers, some of who are visitors in town for the ski season and wanting to be part of something special.
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