Byron Yoga Centre is celebrating its 21st birthday, making it the oldest established yoga school in Byron Bay and one of the oldest in Australia.  The yoga centre has been part of the landscape of Belongil Beach for the last two decades, with many locals enjoying friendly catch-ups at Belongil following classes.

To celebrate, the Byron Yoga Centre is expanding and from February 23rd will be opening a second studio at 6 Byron Street, just above Centrelink.  This studio will serve as the ‘charity arm’ for the yoga centre, offering a varied timetable of $5 and $8 classes.  The proceeds of the classes will be donated to The Buttery, a treatment centre for those seeking recovery from addiction, and Rainforest Rescue, which raises money to buy back rainforests in Australia as well as Indonesia and Ecuador.

All of the usual weekly timetabled classes and teacher training courses will continue at studio 1, at Border St, Belongil.

Founder and Director of Byron Yoga Centre, John Ogilvie, got his start in yoga during the 1980s, apprenticing with Diane Currie at the former Action School of Yoga and with Jenny Groves at Byron Bay, before starting his own school in 1988.

Ogilvie’s gratitude for the techniques and philosophy of yoga in helping him overcome his drug addiction is evident in the Centre’s charitable giving and their close involvement with The Buttery drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre, where Ogilvie is a board member. The Centre offers free weekly classes to The Buttery and Ogilvie has encouraged several Buttery ex-residents to pursue careers in yoga teaching and teacher training at his Centre.

“Yoga is a lot about giving and receiving,” says Ogilvie. “We only keep what we have by giving it away which is one of the main motivations for teaching and training others to teach. I believe that if more people did yoga, they would naturally feel more respect for the sanctity of human life. There would be greater tolerance, less conflict and more understanding and empathy.”

For more information you can visit www.byronyoga.com or call 66 858 327.

Further information and photos:
Ana Davis, Byron Yoga Centre, Marketing
Tel: 0413 996 439  E: ana@byronyoga.com