The Ashram at Ohui

I am living and working at a new place. It is an ashram in Ohui (1.5 hrs North of Te Puke) The ashram (which is not a classical ashram) is part of the WWOOF New Zealand organization. I joined the WWOOFing organization shortly after coming to New Zealand. It basically means that I can do a work-exchange for room and board. Since I've been welcomed at I've been able to practice yoga and meditation. There is some garden space,, and they've allowed me to experiment with planting, transplanting, and harvesting what's available. The ocean is just beyond the house- which means I've not only been practicing yoga, but surfing as well.

Since my arrival, I have become more in-tuned with the people that make up the community at the ashram as well as the land. I have come to know two Irish girls (Clara "Yogashakti" & Sara), an Ausie- Fijian (Atma), a Tazmanian (Persad), an Australian (Shanti) and a Malaysian (Ed). There are actually only 3 people (Atma, Persad, and Shanti-the founder) who live at the ashram all-year round. And the rest of the group are either WOOFers like myself, or residents.

More about the residents:
Atma is a Fijian- white woman in her late 30's and is a yoga instructor. She is expecting her first child in a couple of weeks and will give birth (w/assistance of a mid-wife) in the main living room of the ashram. She is quite lovely and we've shared some good chats, yoga sessions, and a walk on the beach. Persad, her partner is a Tazmanian guy who is in to heavy-metal music, playing drums, cooking, sawing down trees, and doing the maintenance on the property. Shanti, the founder and also the father of Persad, has lived and worked on an ashram based on the teachings of an Indian Guru- can't remember the name off-hand, for the past 20 + years. He is the one who manages the ashram. Atma co-manages, but is now going to go on maternity leave.Clara (temp. resident) is an Irish woman in her 20's who is a reflexoligist and yoga instructor. She lives here temporarily, but is gone at the moment on a short trip up the Coromandel Peninsula with her friend who is visiting from Ireland.

More about the property and the land: The ashram is more like a rustic, 100-year old house, which overlooks the ocean. The house, I've been told, was once occupied by a 'bunch of crazy hippies' and was in need of a lot of repairs when the new leasers arrived. There are some pine trees growing along with pampas weed which partially block the view. However, we are able to see a good portion of the ocean and a small island that sits alone. There are also Putakawas which look similar to a Banyon tree, but get little red flowers during the Christmas season. The ocean is an azure-blue.

Today we did some gardening and some chain-saw work in the forest- cutting up more wood for the ashram. It was great to do yoga and then run a chain saw: good yin-yang combination of acitivity- ha! The winter season is here and the weather has been turning cold. We will get 20 mins of sun and then a huge down-pour which can last all day. If we are lucky, the rain will last only an hour or less, and we can get some work done outside or go to the beach. However, you always have to be prepared because it usually only stops for a brief moment before it starts to rain again.

Yesterday, I headed to the beach. I found an old surfboard underneath the house made in Maui and bought and brought to the island by Persad's father, Shanti. I guess Shanti was a bit of a surfer himself back in the day, although I haven't got to speak to him much about this part of his past. I was offered to borrow the board- took it under my arm and ran to the beach! The waves weren't that great right out in front of the house, but further down the beach there were waves peeling left and right. I will go check-out the other spot when I feel more in-shape and ready for it. I've decided it's best to study the wave and the currents before going for a surf in the rougher water (surfing alone on an unkonwn beach can be pretty dangerous). Although there have been other surfers out in the water, I was alone the first day I went out. There is also another woman who comes up to visit that may join me. I guess she knows the ocean around this beach well. I have just less than a week left here- so I imagine I will get another surf in and have time to scope out the wave. The board was a beauty so all-things-said-and-done, I had a great time out in the ocean!

Now, I am off to mix spices for the curry dinner and help make some chapati with Atma!

Sending my greetings & love across the ocean....

Publish Post