Early-bird NZ$1,275 until 10 June
Pure Yoga
Auckland · Aotearoa
Yogic lifestyle immersion · 20–24 August 2026
Five days of immersion on the clifftops above Long Bay, then months of guided practice, for people who want Yoga as a way of living, not a class they attend once a week.
Applications reviewed personally.
A conversation about what this immersion is, who it is for, and what five days of classical practice actually looks like.
5 of 10 places remaining · applications reviewed personally.
12+ yrs
training diploma-level teachers in New Zealand
5 yrs
in residence at the Bihar School of Yoga, India
Sannyasa
formal initiation within a lineage · parampara
Master's
in Yoga Psychology · E-RYT 500 · B.Ed.
Most Yoga you can buy in Auckland is a class. You go, you feel better for an hour, you leave. That has its place. But it isn't what this immersion is.
I spent five years in residence at the Bihar School of Yoga in India, and twelve years since then training teachers here in New Zealand. What I learned there isn't a sequence of postures. It is a system for living: discipline, practice, philosophy, self-inquiry, and the daily rhythms that hold them together.
This immersion is where I usher you into that system.
"Believe in yourself and know that you have the strength, the ability, the courage and the will to transform yourself."
Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati
What this actually is
This is not a 200-hour teacher training. It is not a retreat you return home from unchanged. And it is not wellness coaching dressed in Sanskrit.
It is the step most practitioners never get help with. Sadhana means sustained, committed practice, the kind that changes you slowly, and for good.
It begins with five full days together. Then it continues over the months that follow: guided home practice, audio recordings in my voice, reflection, and a small community walking the same path. That ongoing phase is what makes the teachings stick. Inspiration fades in a week. Integration is what lasts.
A day in the immersion
Meditation & mantra chanting
Traditional Hatha Yoga
Philosophy & lifestyle teachings
Group discussion & reflection
Yoga Nidra
Swadhyaya: self-study & reflective practice
Shared lunch & breaks
is this for you?
You are a committed student who wants Yoga beyond the studio class, but doesn't necessarily want to teach.
You are a Yoga teacher with a certificate who feels underprepared in sadhana, philosophy, and authentic yogic living.
You are in a season of transition, looking for steadiness and a daily practice that holds.
You are drawn to the classical tradition and ready to live it, not just read about it.
You are brand new to Yoga. That's wonderful, but the right first step is a block of classes with me over six to twelve months, and then we talk.
You are looking for fitness or a workout. This is a meditative, classical practice.
You want a certificate without the practice behind it. I'll tell you honestly if the timing isn't right. There is no rush.
The teachings
Disciplined practice for steadiness, vitality, and inner awareness.
The traditional yogic purification practices, embedded within the Hatha Yoga system.
Alignment, sequencing, and adapting practice to where you actually are.
Breath practices that regulate the nervous system. Pranayama: the yogic work with breath and energy.
Subtle techniques that direct awareness inward.
Sound and vibration as tools for concentration and stillness.
Where the teachings come from, and why they are sequenced as they are.
Karma, bhakti, mantra and gyana Yoga, and how they balance a life.
The ethics of yogic living, made practical for a modern life.
Deep rest and nervous-system restoration, working at a deeper level to transform mental patterns.
The spiritual diary, SWAN meditation, and honest self-study.
A home practice that evolves with the seasons of your life.
Guidance on deepening through study at the Bihar School of Yoga in India.
Our urban oasis
The immersion is held at my home sanctuary in Torbay, beside Long Bay beach. A dedicated, fully equipped practice space, with a library, and the sea a short walk away for when we need it.
The environment supports the work. Slow surroundings make a slow mind easier to find.
Lunch is provided each day, Ayurvedic-inspired, seasonal, fresh, and curated with the immersion in mind.
The food isn't a break from the practice. It is part of it.
What's Included
Five full days of in-person training (9am–5pm)
Ayurvedic-inspired lunch each day
A printed training manual
Guided audio practices for your home practice
Months of ongoing integration support
A private WhatsApp community for accountability
Invitations to community events & karma Yoga projects
A pathway toward study in India, when you're ready
Dates, place & investment
Dates
20–24 August 2026
Daily
9am – 5pm
Location
Torbay, Auckland
Applications are reviewed personally. On acceptance, a NZ$500 deposit secures your place, and we can arrange a payment plan for the balance.
$1,275
Early bird until 10 June
NZ$1,525 thereafter
NZ$500 non-refundable deposit on acceptance. Payment plans available. All prices in New Zealand dollars.
What students say
For twelve years I have been a teacher and mentor to Sannyasi Pragyadhara within the Education faculty at the Satyananda Yoga Academy. She has continuously lived the yogic lifestyle as a dedicated practitioner: asana, pranayama, mudra, bandha, meditation, mantra, philosophy and yogic psychology within the Bihar School of Yoga tradition, of which I am a part.
Swami Devamaya · Melbourne · her teacher
Pragyadhara embodies Yoga for me. A font of traditional wisdom imparted with deep humility and expertise. I will be back for more. You should too.
ate McLeay · Hawkes Bay
There is nothing contrived, fashionable or on-trend about her classes. A gift to anyone wanting to learn authentic classical Yoga.
Felicity Pyne · Auckland
I studied a nine-day intensive with her and was blown away by her teaching of asana, breathing and Yoga Nidra. She keeps me on my path.
Tracey McKay · Auckland
Questions
Yes, if you're willing to bridge into the Bihar Yoga methods and want to deepen into the energetics of practice and lifestyle integration. A block of Pure Yoga courses over six to twelve months would prepare you well.
You can apply if you're sincere about building toward a personal practice. In most cases I'll suggest six to twelve months of courses with me first, so the immersion lands on real foundations. We'll talk it through.
Ideally some familiarity with the Bihar Yoga tradition, a classical system that cultivates meditative awareness and extends practice into sadhana and yogic lifestyle. If you're not there yet, preparation classes will get you ready.
I review every application personally and reply by email. If it looks like a fit, you're welcome to a short connection call, a conversation rather than a sales pitch, so we can make sure the timing is right for you.
I run monthly Hatha preparation classes on Saturdays, 7:30–9:30am, at the Torbay studio. A beautiful way to begin establishing rhythm before the deeper work.
Begin
The purpose of this immersion is not to accumulate knowledge, but to cultivate a grounded, embodied relationship to practice, one that keeps unfolding long after the five days end.
Hari Aum Tat Sat.
साधना
sādhana: sustained practice
Pure Yoga
Home Studio
23 Gilberd Place
Torbay, Auckland
© 2026 Pure Yoga · Pragyadhara · Auckland · Aotearoa