Geraldton celebrates International Yoga Day and Indian culture in annual event at QEII

It didn’t take much of a stretch for more than 150 enthusiasts to enjoy International Yoga Day in Geraldton recently. Turning up to the event on Sunday, June 18 at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, all people needed was a yoga mat, water bottle and ticket to take part in the nine different yoga classes available on the day. “We aim to increase peoples’ awareness of the benefits of practising yoga in its many different forms,” Geraldton Yoga Club president Chantal Bachere-Crinquand said. The event, to mark International Yoga Day on June 21, is an annual collaboration between the Geraldton Yoga Club and Mid West Indian Cultural Society (MWICS), with support from the City of Greater Geraldton, Bendigo Community Bank and the Consulate General of India Perth. The crowd had nine different yoga styles to choose from, which was then followed by an Annadhanam — a feast of free food generously donated by the Vidzhay family and cooked and served by volunteers of the MWICS. “This sort of ‘sewa’, or service to others, is an essential part of Indian culture and we want to encourage our younger generation to be involved in service to society,” MWICS founder Hari Kumar said. Local businesses, such as Dome Geraldton, Mint and Pepper Geraldton and Remi’s French Street Food, supported the event.