Rekkha Yoga founder on getting the ancient practice off the mat

Reha Kumar started Rekkha Yoga after noticing the heavily westernised practice was missing the spiritual roots she grew up learning at her local temple in Suva, Fiji.

Last year, Kumar won Exercise NZ Yoga Teacher
of the Year award, supported safe practice for older and vulnerable students, and brought the ancient practice to last year’s Diwali Festival in Auckland for the first time in its 21-year history.

But she says her accomplishments come at a cost, with heavy competition from mainstream players who leave little room for authentic practitioners.

What is Rekkha Yoga?

Rekkha Yoga is a purpose-driven movement aiming to re-introduce yoga into the mainstream in its culturally and spiritually authentic form, and make it a truly accessible, inviting, and respectful means to well-being.

It is to embrace the past, learn from the present, and lay the foundations for authentic yoga in the future.

When did you start the business and why?

I started this business in 2021. It was born out of the need for yoga in an organic and decolonised version. It was to include every type of body, and be affordable, inclusive and accessible while always paying respect to the Indian culture it’s rooted in.

It’s a tool for education, community and well-being, beyond able-bodied gymnastics and the after-effects of India’s colonisation.

What is Yoga?

Yoga is slowing down and living in equanimity. Yoga is togetherness with all living beings. Yoga is learning more about yourself than anything or anyone else. Yoga is a lot more off the mat than it is on the mat.

The ancient practice is becoming detached from its cultural aspects in the west and is now at risk of dying out. Meditation, breathwork and yoga need to stop being separated as they are the same thing.

There are four main types of yoga in ancient Vedic scriptures: bhakti (devotion), karma (selfless action), jñāna (knowledge) and dhyana (focus/meditation).

That’s why yoga is a lived experience. Most people are aware only of the physical schools of movement in yoga such as vinyasa, power, yin, restorative, nidra, hatha, and many others.

Although physical movements and poses have their benefits, it’s important to emphasise slowing down instead of basing it on gymnastics because that focuses on the superficial body and not the true eternal self, or atmān.

When did you start practising yoga?

I started practising yoga in primary school. For me, it started as regular teachings from our family Swami Ji (monk) after school.

It included learning about my heritage, to help the community through charity and learning my body’s capability of movement.

When did you start teaching and why?

I started teaching just before Covid lockdowns started. I always wanted to help the community through healthcare and well-being. I studied a Bachelor of Science majoring in Psychology at the University of Auckland.

I realised what I knew best and was most passionate about was the lifestyle of yoga. Hearing and reading about the mental health crisis and suicide rates in New Zealand made me concerned.

It seemed the yoga we see in social media and studio environments are an idealised version out of reach for many people.

I found the yoga industry was lacking in authentic teaching. Teachers seemed to look for more sign-ups for their studios, which cost hundreds to thousands of dollars a year, but weren’t really living and teaching the essence of yoga, especially not to everyone.

What does the yoga industry look like in New Zealand?

Basically, gymnastics. Under the false promise to dive inwards, it excludes lots of everyday people and fuels a desire to look a certain way. It is superficial.

For the 20 years I’ve been in New Zealand, in the yoga industry here I saw exclusion, ageism, sexism, neo-colonisation, and the misuse of Hindi and Sanskrit words and philosophy.

Yoga is a part-time gig for many – a way to make extra money or a business venture for people promoting physical fitness. But, I have found many businesses lack commitment to the lifelong learnings of yoga outside of profit.

Ayurveda is part of my life. It’s not just a two-hour workshop. While being comfortable in your body is important, yoga isn’t about how attractive you look on social media and this should not be the way to promote the deeply spiritual practice.

What are the biggest challenges for you as a yoga teacher?

It is difficult in this setting and economy to teach the truth fast. People are so used to believing yoga is another form of exercise. Saying otherwise makes people turn a blind eye and sometimes get aggressive.

There are so many repercussions for speaking out against mainstream, western teaching that so many people don’t confront it. Often, speaking out is seen as complaining but the gaps between yoga’s meaning and the way it’s practised here is genuinely an ongoing challenge for me.

I liken it to learning the haka because both are deeply rooted in cultural beliefs and should be taught with a lot of sensitivity.

Because I’m committed to teaching all around Auckland, I spend a lot of time in traffic. If I’m teaching 20 hours a week, that’s usually an additional 20 hours in travel time.

There are generally no permanent contracts so income is never really guaranteed. People can also miss or delay payments so I have to follow up several times for weeks after putting in a lot of work.

There is gate-keeping in the NZ industry and that keeps many authentic and well-meaning teachers out.

That means teachers like me do not get job opportunities as often as mainstream teachers. We often have less popular teaching slots which can easily be cut off a timetable, or have to work harder and longer to fill private classes and events because we are not selling the stereotypical practice.

It’s also challenging being a teacher with a different outlook on yoga than what people are used to. Students who don’t know that yoga is not a bendy version of pilates get frustrated, demanding and culturally disrespectful in classes when you give them slow, gentle movement and longer meditations.

Sometimes I have to put aside my beliefs and teach the way management or students at that time want. However, slowly I filter myself out of these places.

This all means my business suffers a loss of income.

What has been your biggest achievement in business?

My biggest achievement is the wholesome yoga community I have of people who want to learn authentic, traditional yoga and philosophy.

The Rekkha yoga community is patient, inviting, encouraging, and kind, and I’m grateful for where I teach and the students I have.

I’ve assisted in a few regulatory changes to yoga in the exercise industry to help vulnerable and older students. I’ve dived a bit deeper into accessibility and learned how to offer gentle movement and yoga to students in wheelchairs or those who are bed-bound.

For the first time in 21 years, I helped bring yoga to the Auckland Diwali Festival. The festival is the biggest celebration for the Indian diaspora and last year it saw 120,000 people attend.

Although yoga is the most popular well-being practice from India, there was never any yoga at the festival. It was an honour to be a part of this change in 2023 and offer educational workshops.

Lastly, I won the 2023 Exercise NZ Yoga Teacher of the Year award.

What do you want to achieve through the business?

More awareness and honest, open conversation about appropriation from a country and ancient culture.

Most importantly, I want to help improve mental health outcomes in New Zealand at all age levels.

Alka Prasad is an Auckland-based business reporter covering small business and retail.