Happy Buddha Yoga Blue Mountains

28/10/2025

A shout out to our very own Vanessa Safajou who wrote a Happy Buddha newsletter recently... 💌

It was so great, we'd thought we share it with you!

---
Hello Happy Buddhas!

I feel so lucky to have connected with so many wonderful people—both the local Blue Mountains community and the incredible participants I’ve had the joy of teaching at retreats over the years.

Feeling connected to community was one of the main reasons I was drawn to the mountains in the first place. I love spotting Happy Buddha faces out in the wild—at the supermarket or out for a stroll with my dogs—but I’ve noticed a curious pattern…

When I run into someone I know from yoga or retreat, it usually goes one of two ways: a polite smile that says, “I think I know her, but can’t quite place her out of context,” or, if it’s a local yogi, an enthusiastic hello quickly followed by an apology or explanation for not making it to yoga lately.

As a teacher, it’s such a joy and honour to share this practice with you. Please know, we’re never disappointed if we don’t see you in class. You have nothing to explain or apologise for. And if you’re on retreat with us, remember—it’s your retreat, and you can always skip a session if you need to 🥰

There are already enough parts of life with deadlines and performance reviews.

Your yoga practice doesn’t need to be one of them.

Life gets busy, messy, overwhelming. Often the things that help us cope with the chaos are the first to go. Sometimes we just need to adjust our expectations to make self-care more doable.

I truly believe there’s no one “right” way to practice yoga. Just like we adapt asana for an injury or limitation, we can adapt our practice for whatever life throws our way. Yoga doesn’t need a studio, special clothes, or even a mat. It can happen in the corner of your bedroom, from your desk chair, out on a hike, or in a quiet moment with a cup of tea.

If you’re craving the energy of like-minded people coming together, know you’re always welcome here—whenever you’re ready.

Take good care of yourself.
~ Vanessa

PS. You can read the newsletter here too:
https://mailchi.mp/happybuddharetreats/happy-buddha-offerings-18236149