Who We Are

SWAMI MUKTIDHARMA - Satyananda Yoga Acharaya

Swami Muktidharma is an inspiring speaker and teacher who has dedicated his life to yoga. He shares a deeply experiential and practical understanding of yoga, having begun his spiritual journey as a young man in his native Colombia, before spending 16 years in India living directly with Yoga Master Paramahamsa Satyananda Saraswati. He lectures throughout the world and imparts more than 35 years of yoga practice. His main purpose is to inspire and uplift humanity.

Swami Muktidharma approaches yoga from a scientific point of view to bring it into the 21st century in a valid way. He uses scientifically proven Yoga techniques to treat asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, high blood pressure, diabetes and other physical and mental imbalances.

Swami Muktidharma postulates bringing yoga into daily life. He says, “that practice should not be on-off, on-off, but that yoga is a 24 hour, 7 day a week, all year long practice!” People who take his courses and spend time at Anahata Yoga Retreat receive inspiration and techniques to transform their daily lives into a yogic life.

Swami Muktidharma spends several months a year at Anahata Yoga Retreat giving programmes and retreats, working therapeutically with people from around the world and training residents in living a yogic lifestyle. He also travels throughout the world for part of the year, dedicated to bringing the wisdom of yoga to as many people as possible. Click here for international schedule.

He has produced three unique Satyananda Yoga Nidra™ CDs, each with an additional meditation technique; a Seed Sound CD with Swami Karma Karuna and Swami Kailash; and has published numerous articles.

Click for a full biography of Swami Muktidharma.

Click to read more about SATYANANDA YOGA®.

SWAMI KARMA KARUNA - affiliated SATYANANDA YOGA® teacher

Swami Karma Karuna is a founding member and director of Anahata Yoga Retreat, New Zealand, and a dedicated, intuitive yoga teacher with years of experience working with a wide range of people. From an early age, she traveled exploring diverse spiritual traditions; finally dedicating herself to the yogic path, guided by Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati, world-wide head of the Satyananda Yoga Movement.

Swami Karma Karuna has received yoga training in Nepal, India and Australia. She spends 3 months each year living and teaching in India at the home and sadhana place of Swami Satyananda. She also travels internationally part of the year, committed to sharing Yoga Solutions for Life™ - simple & powerful techniques for transformation. During past tours, Swami Karma Karuna has been involved in workshops, retreats, trained teacher trainees at the Australasian Satyananda Yoga Academy, and worked with groups of Yoga Therapists throughout the USA.

By combining yogic lifestyle and Sannyasa tradition with family life, Swami Karma Karuna has a unique and practical approach, inspiring the integration of yogic principles into everyday activities.

In 2007 Swami Karma Karuna released her first yoga and meditation CD called Yoga Solutions for Life™ – Essential Daily and Deepening Practices designed to develop a simple daily practice enhancing health and relaxation. In October 2007, a second CD focused on the chakras and seed sounds was released. Click here for CDs.

SANNYASI DIVYAJYOTI - affiliated SATYANANDA YOGA® teacher

Sannyasi Divyajyoti is a founding member of Anahata Yoga Retreat. She has lived between the Satyananda ashrams in Australia and Anahata over the past several years, also regularly travelling to India.

She has a yoga teaching diploma from the Satyananda Yoga Academy Australasia. Divyajyoti also holds a certificate in advanced permaculture and has lead yoga ecology courses and eco projects at Anahata and in Australia.

SANNYASIN MARUTDEVA - accredited SATYANANDA YOGA® teacher

Sannyasin Marutdeva initially came to Anahata in 2000. He became a dedicated student of Swami Muktidharma for several years and began studying at the Satyananda Yoga Academy Australasia via correspondence.

Marutdeva went on to live in India in the presence of Yoga Masters Paramahamsa Satyananda and Swami Niranjanananda. After completing a one-year Diploma Course at Bihar Yoga Bharati, he went on to join the Sannyasa Course at Sivananda Ashram, Rikhia, and imbibed yogic lifestyle for another one and a half years.

After his time in India, Marutdeva returned to his native Germany and taught yoga fulltime for two and half years. He completed a Diploma of Satyananda Yoga Teaching through the Satyananda Yoga Academy Australasia, and is now back at Anahata. We are very grateful for his wisdom, experience and humour!

SANNYASIN ATMABHAVA - affiliated SATYANANDA YOGA® teacher

Sannyasin Atmabhava has been a core member of Anahata Yoga Retreat since 2003 and has completed a 3-year teacher training course with the Satyananda Yoga Academy Australasia. In spring 2007 he made his first pilgrimage to the heart of Satyananda Yoga in India, assisting on the Chakra Sadhana Course.

Atmabhava is a living example of transforming his health through yoga, and he willingly shares his personal experiences to inspire others on their path towards health. He is an experienced adventure guide with a background in ecology; he blends the techniques of yoga with the beauty of the outdoors to inspire connection with our internal nature.

CURRENT ANAHATA RESIDENTS

An active group of teachers & residents of all ages apply yogic principles in their lives & enjoy sharing their experience & inspirations with guests. Some long-term residents have been at Anahata for four years or more, some stay for a few months and some have come to call Anahata their home.

Mangalananda has lived at Anahata since the beginning of 2006 and is currently the head of Anahata’s building and maintenance department. He has also begun his journey of official Yogic Studies at the Satyananda Yoga Academy Australasia.

The evolution he has experienced and continues to experience at Anahata is the inspiration for remaining here as a longterm resident.


Sannyasi Jnani stumbled upon Anahata in early 2007, with no previous yoga experience- a complete beginner! Satyananda Yoga and a yogic lifestyle had such a positive effect on her life that she decided to come back & became a resident in early 2008. She currently looks after the Accommodation & Marketing departments and fulfils various roles as needed in the ever-changing landscape of the ashram.

She is firmly set on the yogic path now and is currently undertaking the Satyanada Teaching Diploma at Mangrove, hoping to inspire others on this path.


Sannyasi Atma Sundari has lived at Anahata all her life having, been born in the present Anahata guesthouse, Shankaraya, during a water birth in December 1996. She has been immersed in the yogic atmosphere from day one and has been a vegetarian all of her life. She has also had the opportunity to experience the world, travelling extensively with Swami Muktidharma and Swami Karma Karuna during international teaching tours. Atma Sundari enjoys meeting people from different countries, and she attends the local school when in New Zealand.

She spends several months every year in the ashram in India and has had the unique opportunity to be close with Paramahamsa Satyananda and Swami Niranjanananda, receiving a spiritual name on her fourth birthday and initiation into mantra and karma sannyasa at the age of five. Both of these initiations were by her request. Atma Sundari is also a Kanya of Rikhia and is one of the few Western children to have had the honour of being worshipped as a Kanya Kumari several times during powerful ceremonies in Rikhia, India.

All of this exposure makes her wise beyond her years, strong-minded and full of a few challenges to keep us all present! With this special blend of the East and the West, we wonder what her purpose is? At present she enjoys theatre, fashion, outdoor activities, sports, animals, reading comics, is ahead in her school subjects and acts like most other almost-teenagers……but you may just find her chanting mantras or having discussions that make you think!!!


Julia and Sivani are Marutdeva's family. Julia is a physiotherapist and naturopath, also from Germany. She is currently pursuing Yogic Studies through the Satyananda Yoga Academy Australasia. Sivani came into the world in March 2006 and graced Anahata with her presence in September 2007. It is wonderful to have her light and love around!

VISITING TEACHERS/SWAMIS

Anahata is regularly host to many visiting teachers and swamis throughout the year, including:

Rishi Nityabodhananda and Rishi Yoga Diwali

Rishi Nityabodhananda and Rishi Yoga Diwali are Dynamic Masters of the Satyananda Yoga tradition. They have tutored students for over 40 years in India, Australia, and other ashrams around the world. Rishi Nityabodha is the author of Satyananda Yoga publication “Awakening Ajna Chakra”, and together the Rishis bring many years of experience and immense wisdom. These Rishis are captivating, humble, humorous, and inspirational.

Swami Atmamuktananda - Satyananda Yoga Acharaya

Swami Atmamuktananda Saraswati, “Atma”, first encountered Yoga Master Paramahamsa Satyananda Saraswati at his ashram in Bihar, India, in 1979. She continued to live under the guidance of Swami Satyananda for many years. In 1996 Atma became the Director and Acharya of the Rocklyn Ashram in Victoria, Australia, and continues to reside at the Ashram and train yoga aspirants from all walks of life. Atma has a simple, straightforward and practical approach to personal progress in life. Self-observation and attention to the everyday details of living consciously, is central to her approach.

Swami Kailash - accredited SATYANANDA YOGA® teacher

Swami Kailash Saraswati has studied and lived in Satyananda Yoga ashrams in New Zealand and India from an early age. From this background he brings a practical, simple and joyful perspective to all aspects of yoga.

He is a warm and engaging teacher and has been teaching yoga for twenty years, most recently in Australasia, India and Korea. He is the Founder of Srinivasa Yoga House in Hamilton, New Zealand.

Swami Devamaya

Swami Devamaya has reaped the benefits of yoga for 35 years. She has in-depth knowledge of yogic practices and is an expert in Nada Yoga. She currently teaches in Australia and New Zealand and co-ordinates Yogic Studies 2A at Mangrove Mountain, NSW.

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