This August, the Hawke’s Bay Yoga Festival returns to the stunning coastline of Napier for its fourth annual gathering, a weekend of deep movement, stillness, and renewal. Set inside the sunlit Napier Conference & Events Centre, with sweeping ocean views through floor-to-ceiling windows, the festival offers a nourishing space to step away from daily life and reconnect with what matters. Local and national teachers will be sharing a wide range of classes, from dynamic vinyasa and gentle hatha to yin, yoga nidra, and restorative forms, welcoming all levels of practitioner into a rhythm of ease, insight, and embodied presence.
Among this year’s presenters is Chardin, who will offer a Himalayan yoga meditation workshop rooted in the Sri Vidya lineage, weaving together breath, inner awareness, and mantra. His session will include a discourse on Samādhi, the higher states of meditative absorption as well as reflections on Buddhist meditation and the pathways of clarity and insight. Beyond yoga, the festival continues to be a convergence point for sound healing, ceremony, and community. With full access to all sessions included in every ticket, attendees can dive into sound baths, breathwork, ecstatic dance, and more. Last year’s event sold out early, and this year promises another rich and heart-opening weekend by the sea.
The final New Zealand Spirit Festival in Kumeu, Auckland marked the end of an era after eight incredible years of soulful gatherings. Held over three vibrant days, it brought together a global community of seekers, artists, and musicians in a deeply immersive celebration of connection, creativity, and spirit. Amidst a full lineup of workshops, music, and ceremony, one of the featured offerings was a Himalayan Yoga Meditation and Samādhi discourse form Chardin, a powerful blend of silent depth and yogic insight that drew an engaged circle of international participants.
The festival pulsed with heartfelt music, including a standout performance by Sam Garrett, rich ceremonial cacao, late-night bonfires, and spontaneous chanting under the stars. Held in an atmosphere of friendship and farewell, the closing of New Zealand Spirit was both a celebration and a tribute, honouring the legacy of a movement that’s shaped the consciousness of so many. Connections were made with beautiful souls from Spain, France, Italy, the Middle East, South America and beyond, weaving together the shared love for devotion, truth, and the deep stillness at the heart of yoga.
The NZ Spirit Festival offered a vibrant three-day immersion into connection, healing, and community. Set against a stunning natural backdrop of Orton Bradley Park, the festival brought together a diverse gathering of people seeking spiritual growth and creative expression. Chardin shared the teachings of Himalayan Raja Yoga Meditation with open-hearted participants, holding space for deep inner stillness and alignment.
The event blended ancient wisdom with modern expression, mantras, yoga, live music, fire circles, and sacred ceremony. The festival grounds came alive with movement and colour, from morning practices beneath the trees to late-night dancing under the stars. Elders, facilitators, and artists co-created an atmosphere of mutual respect, exploration, and transformation. For Chardin, it marked not just a festival appearance but a meaningful step in building the presence of Soolroom within a conscious, heart-led community.
In August 2024, Soul Room founder, Chardin was invited to present at the Hawke’s Bay Yoga Festival, held in the vibrant coastal city of Napier. The weekend brought together a wide range of offerings including yoga, meditation, sound healing, breathwork, and Kundalini practices, all set against the stunning natural beauty of Hawke’s Bay.
With a large and enthusiastic turnout, the festival attracted conscious communities from across Aotearoa and beyond. Chardin’s workshops were met with openness and depth, contributing to a rich weekend of insight and connection. With nourishing food, soulful music, and a palpable sense of unity, the festival was a celebration of inner work and collective spirit. Plans are already underway for his return to the 2025 lineup.
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