I feel very proud to have participated as a delegate and as a presenter at Yoga Australia’s inaugural conference this last weekend in Melbourne.
Twenty-six panel members, workshop presenters, and keynote speakers provided an incredibly rich smorgasbord of knowledge, skills, experience and inspiration. The majority of the 26 are Australian.
Over the weekend every need was catered for:
•Interesting and useful topics like, “Cogitation, Contemplation, Meditation – What’s the difference?” and “Protecting Our Professionals: Self-Care for the Yoga Teacher” were covered.
•Morning practice sessions before the day’s program began.
•Wholesome and delicious lunch fare.
•A social evening at a waterfront restaurant with entertainment provided by Marian McNaught and her students (us) in the form of a Bollywood dancing lesson.

I was impressed by the level of professional organisation leading up to and at the conference. Much of the work was done by volunteers, and there would have been hundreds of man/woman hours that went into the event. The cooperation among the committee members and officers was so uplifting to see, especially as these dedicated workers represent many different styles and traditions of yoga.
I loved that there was no merchandise for sale, no advertising, not any business cards or brochures. The general feeling was that we had come together “In the Spirit of Union” (the theme of the conference) to support each other personally and professionally, and not for commercial reasons.
There is talk of having another conference next year, and perhaps making Sydney the venue. I’ll keep you posted….