Australia Day, Identity, and Belonging

Before you read this, I want to say something gently.

This is not a light piece. It touches something tender in many of us - identity, belonging, history, pride, and grief. For some, it may feel uncomfortable. For others, it may feel relieving. For some, it may stir anger or sadness. That’s okay.

What I am offering here is not a position to defend, but a conversation to step into.

In my work as a yoga and meditation teacher and counsellor, I have learned something very simple and very true: what we cannot hold with awareness and compassion ends up holding us. What we cannot integrate divides us.

This reflection comes from the same place as my teachings on Being, Becoming, and Belonging. As long as we cannot hold the full story of this country and its people - both its beauty and its wounds, its strengths and its struggles — we cannot truly feel at home in it together. We cannot experience a genuine sense of belonging.

So I invite you to read this slowly, with curiosity rather than certainty. You don’t have to agree with everything. But I do hope you will let it open something. Because this conversation matters -not just for us, but for the generations who are already living beyond our old divisions, and for those yet to come.

“Avidyā - misperception of reality, is the root of suffering.”
(Yoga Sūtra 2.5, adapted)

Right now, we are caught in something like a national limbo - unable to fully celebrate, and unwilling to fully reckon. And that in-between state is not neutral. It quietly keeps us divided, reactive, and unresolved and quite possible causing harm to this nation.

We don’t suffer because the truth is complex.
We suffer because we refuse to face it.
This country did not give me my birth - but it has given me my life.

I came to Australia more than thirty-five years ago.

It is where I have worked, loved, struggled, and built a home and a family. It is where I married a sixth-generation Irish-English Australian man who carries a deep, quiet love for this land. It is where our children were born- children who carry both Sri Lankan and Australian blood, both ancient culture and modern possibility.

So when I speak about Australia Day, I am not speaking as an outsider looking in.
I am speaking from inside this story.

And from that place, I believe what we are really being asked to do now is not to erase our past, nor to remain trapped inside it - but to mature as a nation. To grow up. To find a way to honour, remember, and celebrate in a way that allows all of us to belong.

The conflict around Australia Day is often framed as a debate about history, politics, or dates on a calendar. But beneath the noise, it is something much more human and much more tender. It is a struggle about identity, belonging, and grief.

At its heart, Australia Day asks a nation to hold two truths at once.

The first truth is that modern Australia has brought extraordinary gifts: stability, safety, opportunity, education, health care, and a democratic society that has welcomed people from every corner of the world. Millions of Australians- including migrants, refugees, and working-class families - have built meaningful lives here. Their pride in this country is not misplaced. It is rooted in real effort, sacrifice, and love.

The second truth is that this modern nation was founded through invasion, dispossession, and immense suffering for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Land was taken. Languages were suppressed. Families were broken. Cultures that had thrived for tens of thousands of years were violently disrupted. This history is not a footnote - it is foundational.

The tension around January 26 exists because it marks the beginning of a system that produced both of these realities. It is therefore not simply a celebration date, but a symbolic wound. For many Indigenous Australians, it represents loss and erasure. For many others, including migrants like me, it represents belonging and achievement. Asking one group to ignore their pain or the other to relinquish their pride creates an impossible emotional bind.

What we are witnessing in the Australia Day debate is not just disagreement. It is unprocessed grief colliding across generations and cultures.

For many non-Indigenous Australians, particularly migrants and their children, Australia Day has become a symbol of earned belonging - the story of arriving, working hard, and creating a life. When the date is challenged, what is often felt is not just political disagreement, but a deeper fear: “Are you saying I don’t belong here?” That fear activates defensiveness and resistance -not because people are cruel, but because shame threatens the core of identity.

For many Indigenous Australians, January 26 carries the weight of historical and ongoing trauma. It is not distant history, but a living inheritance that continues to shape health, opportunity, and cultural survival. When celebration is insisted upon without acknowledgement, it can feel like their pain is being dismissed. That too evokes grief and anger.

In this way, both sides are protecting something sacred: one side, the right to belong without shame; the other, the right to have suffering recognised and honoured. These are not opposing moral claims — they are parallel human needs.

Nations, like people, do not heal through denial or blame. They heal through truth, witnessing, and integration. We see this in countries that have faced painful histories honestly. They did not become weaker through truth-telling - they became more stable, more trustworthy, and more united.

By contrast, nations that deny or sanitise their past remain haunted by unresolved conflict, defensiveness, and fear. Unacknowledged trauma does not disappear. It returns in distorted and destructive ways - just as it does in individuals who never receive the chance to heal.

Australia now stands at this same crossroads.

The choice is not between pride and truth. The choice is between fragile identity built on denial, and mature identity built on honesty.

A psychologically healthy Australia Day would not force one group to swallow pain or the other to abandon belonging. It would separate remembrance from celebration. January 26 could become a national day of truth, reflection, and acknowledgement of First Nations history and resilience. A different date could become a day of shared celebration - of citizenship, diversity, creativity, and the evolving story of modern Australia. In this way, grief would be honoured, and pride would be freed from cruelty.

This is not rewriting history.
It is telling the whole story.

A grown-up nation, like a healed person, does not need to pretend it was innocent in order to be worthy. It can say, “We know what happened. We honour those who suffered. And we choose, together, to walk forward.”

The deepest question beneath the Australia Day debate is not “What date should we celebrate?”
It is: Can we belong together without erasing each other?

The answer, if we are brave enough to live it, is yes.

Because in the end, we all yearn to belong.

Lifestyle of a Yogi - Endings and Beginnings

At a recent Women’s gathering, we were invited to reflect on the year that’s coming to a close — and to consider how we wish to begin the next. We were asked to choose three words to guide that transition.

Mine were: Acceptance. Intention. Impact.

Read the full Newsletter Here: Lifestyle of a Yogi

Why Do You Practice Yoga? A Special Blog & Podcast Feature →

This month I am honoured to be featured by Kundalini House in both their blog and their podcast.

In the blog, Why Do You Practice Yoga?, I reflect on yoga as more than movement or breathwork. Yoga is both a state of Being and a system of practices — a path of self-awareness that unfolds toward transformation and Self-realisation.

[Read the blog on Kundalini House]

I was also invited to join the Kundalini House podcast, where I speak about the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali and what it means to live the Eight Limbs of Yoga in daily life. This was my first time recording a podcast, and I am grateful for the opportunity to share these teachings in a new way.

[Listen to the podcast here]

Adhikārī – Rethinking Readiness in Modern Yoga

I’m delighted to share that my latest article, Adhikārī - Rethinking Readiness in Modern Yoga, has just been published by Yoga Australia.

This piece explores what it truly means to be “ready” for yoga - not just in the sense of physical ability, but in the deeper sense of openness, receptivity, and commitment. In today’s yoga landscape, where practice is often approached as exercise or therapy, I believe it is vital to return to the roots of yoga and Vedānta, where readiness (adhikārī) was always considered essential for genuine transformation.

In writing this article, I wanted to spark a conversation about integrity, depth, and the responsibility we share as teachers and practitioners to honour the tradition while meeting students where they are. For me, readiness is not about exclusion, but about creating conditions where real learning and freedom can unfold.

You can read the full article on the Yoga Australia website here:
Read the article on Yoga Australia

I would love to hear your reflections after reading- what does readiness mean to you in your own practice or teaching?

Has Creative License Dialuted the Teachings of Classical Yoga ?

In recent decades, yoga has undergone a vast transformation. From sacred, lineage-based teachings rooted in spiritual discipline to brightly lit studios offering everything from Goat Yoga to Beer Yoga, we’ve witnessed a shift from tradition to trend. And while adaptation can bring accessibility, it also brings an important question to the surface:

At what point does creative license become misrepresentation?

The Rise of “Modern Yoga Styles”

One of the clearest examples of this phenomenon is Yin Yoga—a practice that has gained enormous popularity for its gentle, meditative approach. While undeniably calming and beneficial in certain contexts, Yin Yoga is often mistakenly presented as a traditional yogic practice, despite having no roots in classical yoga.

Yin Yoga was created in the late 20th century, borrowing from Hatha asana forms and combining them with principles from Taoist philosophy and Traditional Chinese Medicine. It was never part of the original teachings found in texts like the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, or Bhagavad Gita.

And yet, many students (and teachers) are led to believe it is “ancient,” “Eastern,” or somehow spiritually equivalent to classical yoga. This is where the dilution begins.

Creative License or Cultural Erosion?

Adaptation isn’t inherently wrong. Yoga has always evolved—from oral traditions to written scriptures, from forest sages to modern teachers. But what we’re seeing now is something deeper: a watering down of foundational principles, often under the guise of innovation.

When we blend yoga with fitness, psychology, or other cultural frameworks without clearly acknowledging the distinction, we risk:

• Distorting the philosophical roots of yoga as a spiritual path

• Erasing the lineage and wisdom of ancient teachers

• Feeding the Western obsession with novelty, rather than discipline and depth

As a counsellor and yoga teacher, I see the need for trauma-informed, gentle, and accessible practices. But I also believe we have a responsibility to teach with clarity, honesty, and reverence—not by dressing up modern hybrids as ancient wisdom.

The Role of the Teacher: Integrity Over Innovation

When teachers take excessive creative license—especially without proper study of classical texts or philosophy—it confuses students and undermines yoga’s purpose: self-realization.

Yoga is not simply a tool for stretching or stress relief. It is a holistic spiritual discipline, integrating ethical living (yama/niyama), breath control (pranayama), sensory withdrawal (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana), and ultimately, liberation (samadhi).

The more we fragment these teachings or cherry-pick only what’s commercially viable, the further we stray from yoga’s true path.

Moving Forward with Respect

This isn’t a call to reject all modern forms—but to differentiate them. To say honestly:
“This is inspired by yoga, but it is not classical yoga.”
“This is therapeutic, not spiritual.”
“This is Yin Yoga, not a lineage-based yogic system.”

By doing this, we honour both the evolution of modern practice and the depth of ancient wisdom—without conflating the two.

Final Thought and Message for Teachers an Lovers of Classical Yoga

Yoga doesn't need to be reinvented. It needs to be remembered. Yoga is not meant to be changed to suit the individual’s preferences; rather, the individual must be willing to change through the discipline of yoga.

This is a critical distinction, especially in today’s wellness culture where convenience, comfort, and customization are often prioritized over depth, tapas (discipline), and authentic transformation.

When we turn yoga into a feel-good experience rather than a truth-seeking process, we risk reducing a sacred, path of liberation to a tool for temporary wellness.

We can still offer care, trauma-awareness, and accessibility—but we must be truthful about what we are teaching. Not every “yoga-inspired” class is yoga. And that’s okay—as long as we name it clearly and don’t mislead students or ourselves.

Let’s teach and practice with humility, discernment, and devotion—to preserve what is sacred, and to offer what is modern, transparently.

Yoga is a Gradual & progressive Path - by Avril Bastiansz

Yoga, in its true essence, is a gradual and progressive path to enlightenment. It requires a dedicated student to engage in consistent practice under the guidance of a teacher. However, in modern times, the way yoga is taught often deviates from this traditional approach. As a yoga teacher, I feel compelled to question whether the current model—hour-long drop-in classes—truly serves the purpose for which yoga was intended. This opinion may not sit well with yoga business owners, studios, or even teachers like me who rely on this structure for a living. Yet, after many years of teaching, I have come to believe that this method lacks purpose and direction, leaving both students and teachers unfulfilled. Yoga, as passed down by sages and masters of ancient times, is not merely a physical practice or a quick route to relaxation—it is a profound legacy designed to guide us toward enlightenment.

The Disconnect in Modern Yoga Culture

In places like Melbourne, Australia, yoga has become a smorgasbord of styles, schedules, and intentions. Students often approach their first class thinking of yoga as a gentle workout or a way to increase flexibility, with comments like, “I’m not very flexible” or “I’ve heard yoga is calming for the mind.” While these are valid entry points, the lack of context and philosophical grounding in many classes leaves students unsure of what they are doing or why. Irregular attendance, different teachers, and varied class styles further contribute to this confusion. Yoga becomes a patchwork experience—a mix of stretching, relaxation, and the occasional adrenaline or dopamine hit—with no overarching goal or direction. This culture not only robs students of the deeper benefits yoga offers but also leaves teachers feeling dissatisfied and disconnected from the true purpose of their teaching.

Yoga: A Science and Pathway for Transformation

Yoga is far more than a physical practice. It is a comprehensive science—a pathway for self-exploration, transformation, and ultimately, Self-realization. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, one of the foundational texts of yoga, provides a clear and systematic curriculum for this journey. Compiled by the sage Patanjali, the Sutras outline a meta-analysis of yoga—196 aphorisms that guide both the student and teacher toward enlightenment. This text is particularly significant for ‘Householders’ that is people like you and me who live active lives in society. Patanjali’s eight-limbed path offers a roadmap for balancing the inner and outer aspects of life. The first four limbs, often referred to as Hatha Yoga, focus on the outer life, while the remaining four, are known as Raja Yoga and delve into the inner life. Together, they form a holistic system that integrates theory and practice, making yoga a journey of the self, through the self, to the Self.

Bringing Purpose Back to Yoga

If we want to honour the true essence of yoga, we must reevaluate how we teach and practice it. Here are some steps to bridge the gap between tradition and modernity:

1. Educate Through Context: Teachers can incorporate brief philosophical teachings or reflections into classes. A few minutes dedicated to principles like Ahimsa (non-violence) or Svadhyaya (self-study) can provide students with a deeper understanding of their practice and talking about the goal of the practice – Samadhi.

2. Offer Progression-Based Programs: Rather than focusing solely on drop-in classes, studios can create multi-week courses that guide students through a structured and progressive path, integrating physical, mental, and philosophical aspects of yoga.

3. Foster Consistency and Community: Encourage students to commit to regular practice with a single teacher or group, allowing them to build continuity and deepen their understanding over time.

4. Balance Tradition with Accessibility: While staying rooted in the wisdom of ancient teachings, ensure that the practice feels relevant and approachable for modern students.

5. Redefine Success in Teaching: Shift the focus from attendance numbers or revenue to the depth of transformation in students, even if it happens gradually, one step at a time.

A Call to Action

Yoga is not merely an exercise; it is a profound journey that touches every aspect of our being. By returning to its roots and embracing its purpose as a gradual and progressive path, we can create a richer, more fulfilling experience for both students and teachers. As the Bhagavad Gita beautifully states: “Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the Self.” Let us honour this journey by teaching yoga as it was intended—a path of transformation, enlightenment, and Self-realization.

Transformation in Yoga by Avril Bastiansz

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts" ~ Seneca

Introduction:

To comprehend how transformation occurs in yoga, it's essential to grasp the mechanics of the human body-mind-soul complex. While the medical field offers a universally accepted scientific understanding of human anatomy and physiology, Yogis have a model that extends beyond it. The Yogic model encompasses subtler aspects that exceed our current scientific comprehension, delving into the energetic or pranic body and our relationship with existence, encompassing inner and outer worlds on a continuum with our environment and the cosmos. Simply put, yoga asserts that we are consciousness experiencing itself as awareness.

The scientific community is progressively understanding these ancient yogic practices and teachings, aided by increased scientific research supporting the effectiveness of yoga for our benefit and well-being. A notable example is Dr. Stephen Porges’s Polyvagal Theory, elucidating how certain yogic practices can regulate our nervous system. Yoga is widely acknowledged as a powerful tool for enhancing physical and mental health and is increasingly adopted as a spiritual & lifestyle practice.

 Yoga: Union of Individual Consciousness with Universal Consciousness:

According to Sage Patanjali, renowned for compiling ancient yogic knowledge into the Yoga Sutras, the goal of yoga is the union of individual consciousness with universal consciousness - Samadhi. Patanjali outlines the path leading to this union through the eight limbs of yoga:

 1. Yama – precepts

2. Niyama – disciplines

3. Asana – physical poses

4. Pranayama – breathwork

5. Pratyahara – mastery of the senses

6. Dharana – focused attention

7. Dhyana – meditation

8. Samadhi – union with consciousness

Holistic Integration of Body, Mind, and Soul:

Conventional philosophical thought divides humans into the small self, consisting of body, mind, and soul, and the big Self, representing the one indivisible whole from which all life forms emanate. The spiritual pursuit involves a lifelong yearning to unite with our separate parts and integrate them, becoming complete and re-uniting with the one whole. Carl Jung termed this the "process of individuation". This is not a linear path but akin to the Hero’s Journey described by Joseph Campbell. Yoga offers a holistic path for this transformative journey back to wholeness through its eight-limbed path described by Patanjali. The first four limbs address outer worldly life and the union of the small self, while the latter four limbs are more concerned with the inner quest and attainment of unity consciousness.

Yoga: An Alchemical Process of Transformation and Integration:

Yoga practices such as asana, pranayama, create the inner conditions and alchemy, to transform and meditation to integrate the seemingly separate parts of ourselves along with all of the other limbs of yoga. These practices generate inner tapas, or transformative energy, which acts as a catalyst for change. Similar to how heat melts ice into water and then vapor, tapas transforms our being, necessitating integration. The Pancha Maha Koshas, or five-energetic sheaths  may help to further illustrate this transformation from gross to subtle states of consciousness and show how yoga is holistic in its application.

These energetic sheaths are described below, in order from gross to subtlest and outermost to innermost layers and apply across the whole system from the smallest of molecules and cells to the whole organism:

1.      Annamaya  Kosha - the physical, gross, material body and sense organs

2.      Pranamaya Kosha -  the breath body, linked to the nervous system & physiology

3.      Manomaya Kosha – the mental sheath, the psychological

4.      Vigjyanamaya Kosha – the intellect, the ‘I’ self,

5.      Anandamaya  Kosha – the bliss body or the essence of being

Thus the benefits of yoga can be experienced on every level of our being from physical, physiological, psychological, intellectual and at the level of Being.

Although yoga is often perceived as a physical practice focused on flexibility and strength, its core essence transcends the realm of asanas (poses) or any single limb of this eightfold path. At its heart, yoga is a profound journey of self-discovery and transformation, guiding practitioners towards a state of wholeness and unity.

To undergo a true metamorphosis transitioning from one state or way of being to another, necessitates an alchemical process that involves transformation and integration on all levels of being. According to sutra 1:12, Pathanjali, stipulates two important requirements : "Abhyasa" – consistent, dedicated practice or disciplined training  and "Vairagya" – non-attachment to the outcome or results of the practice, a surrender that allows for this alchemical process to unfold.

In conclusion, while yoga may begin as a journey to improve physical well-being, its ultimate purpose lies in facilitating profound inner transformation. By engaging in the eight-limbed path with sincerity and commitment, practitioners embark on a sacred journey towards self-realization and union with the higher Self.

‘Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the Self’ ~ Bhagavad Gita

Jai Guru Dev, Jai Devi Ma

with respect to the holy tradition, the masters & all my teachers

Bibliography:

·       Campbell, J. (2008)  The Hero with a Thousand Faces

·       Iyengar, B. K. S. (2014). Light on Yoga.

·       Jung, C. G. (Year). The Collected Works of Carl G. Jung

·      Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (1967) On the Bhagavad-Gita

·     Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-regulation.

. Shearer, A. (1982) The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

·      Stern, E. (2019). One Simple Thing

·   Swatmarama (1972) The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika·     

2020 The Year that's been & Christmas is coming

We are all Seekers and what we are seeking is an end to this Seeking!!

According to Vedanta, the sacred texts of yogic wisdom and knowledge, we humans see ourselves as deficient. Our constant compulsive pursuits to improve ourselves and our lives is evidence of this. We ‘seek' to escape from this …we 'Seek’ to become whole, complete and content. In Vedanta, this is known as the ‘'fundamental problem’'.

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