New Projects
Help us grow
Sharing and Learning have a vision to better support our community and you are invited to be part of the process.
See below for details of what we are doing, our motivations and capabilities.
We are working on projects that:
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- make traditional wisdom about how to live, such as yoga, available to those who need it
- work with First Nations communities to support Cultural revitalisation
- foster awareness of, and positive change in, our natural environment
- nurture connection, within, and with others
- have a focus on rural and remote areas
- encourage social responsibility
Needs & challenges
all around us
In this complex challenging world it has become apparent to us that we need to constantly re-imagine and refocus what we do:
How do we support better health, wellbeing and lifestyles in our communities?
How do we encourage a balanced daily life, engagement with the natural world, and foster greater care for that world?
What tools do we provide to support harmony and peace of mind?
How do we help others stand on their own two feet with the skills and strength to manage their lives?
These are some of the things we have been thinking about.
New Yoga Books
Concepts of yoga explained simply in everyday language.
The first of these books will be titled Effort to Effortless. A number of other simple small books such as Guide to Yoga and Essence of Meditation, with a focus on personal sadhana (regular yoga practice), are in the pipeline.
These simple accessible books fill gaps in what is available. They make our style of yoga easier to understand and make part of into everyday life.
These books will be connected with courses and supported by comprehensive online resources.
Website upgrade
Everything you are familiar with on our learning support website, will become easier to use, with higher quality resources. A clean look with content that will be more accessible and open to the wider community who may have little background in yoga.
New simple support tools for personal practice
New, simpler clear and accessible video, animation, audio, diagrams, cards for attitudinal yoga, daily practice guides and resources. Help for managing in life.
New and reformatted courses
We are streamlining our courses with more short videos, animated and illustrated resources, more visual, learning in short bites as well as “yoga capsules” to support integration of yoga into busy lives.
First Nations & environment projects
New videos and books, usually working with Yuradyuri Elders and local communities aimed at:
- Raising awareness and caring for Country, particularly for the wetlands across Southern NSW
- Supporting Elders tell their stories for the benefit of their families and communities, and for deepening understanding in the broader community.
Yoga for rural and remote communities
We are in the preliminary stages of conducting trials and developing projects for yoga in rural villages and isolated areas. These are areas where there are chronic shortages of health professionals, a lack of programs and opportunities that support healthy living. Offering yoga in this situation has the potential to be of real value to people living remotely.
Our vision - what we see
We see greater health, wellbeing, peace of mind and the relief of suffering in the broader community.
We see the growth of personal capacity and empowerment, so that all have the skills to manage their own wellbeing, their relationships, their mind, and their lives.
We see First Nations Elders sharing traditional culture, language and caring for country, strengthening the vitality of community, wellbeing and identity. We see deeper understanding of Indigenous culture and wisdom in the broader community.
We see better health, wellbeing and community for all, particularly for those living in rural and remote areas.
We see greater awareness and active engagement to fulfil the needs, health and wellbeing of the natural world, with healthy waterways and wetlands of south eastern Australia enhancing the lives of all life depending on them.
We see traditional wisdom, living, benefiting and embodied across the communities we live and work within.
We see offering our skills, to the best of our abilities, to our community with sincerity, simplicity and respect.
Our Mission - what we do
We work with strategies and tools that foster better health, harmony and wellbeing in the communities and natural environments with which we interact.
Where we are invited, we aim to partner with those that hold First Nations cultural knowledge, to develop resources and programs that share this knowledge in ways that uplift, empower and encourage ongoing vitality within First Nations communities.
We develop strategies, resources and programs to support those living in rural and remote communities in ways that foster physical and mental health, wellbeing and connection. This is both a connection with one’s self, and with a community of likeminded souls, no matter the remoteness or isolation.
We make use of creativity, innovation, story telling, educational tools and technology when they foster true understanding and experience of what we share.
When the need is to support ways of living and being that foster health, wellbeing and harmony, we do not presume yoga is the only answer, but when this is of benefit it will be offered.
When yoga is the tool that best fits the situation we offer it in a manner that is down to earth and easily understood and applied in daily life. We do this to encourage health, harmony and wellbeing, peace of mind and the relief of suffering.
We share and learn together, building resilience and community, online and in person.
We share and learn to grow our empathy, compassion and respect with ever greater skill and effectiveness.
Our track record
What are our capabilities?
As Dr Bernard Sullivan, or Swami Vimalratna, I have had a variety of roles in different places. As Vimalratna I am widely known for communicating and sharing yoga, as a teacher and course developer.
I also have a degree in animation, another in graphic design and drawing, with a long history in website and book design. There is a track record as an illustrator, author, course developer, filmmaker, audio technician, and online learning facilitator. I hold a PhD on the question “How may cultural wisdom be understood and shared?”
Sharing and Learning Yoga is much more than one person. It is a platform for a team of committed people inspired to make yoga available to uplift and enhance lives. They provide the dedication and a range of professional skills to make our courses happen. Atmachaitanya coordinates this team. It includes course development, yoga teaching, creative input, homework support, tutorial facilitation and administrative roles.
We have a strong working relationship with Rocklyn Yoga Ashram and the Satyananda Yoga tradition. We do not teach any other style of yoga.
We have a history of working together on a number of successful projects with the Burambabili Gulbali Association, collaborating with First Nations Elders, promoting cultural knowledge through creative work such as books and video.
We are independent, but connected, with a range of working relationships, with organisations and individuals, that we are actively seeking to grow.
What do we need to make this happen?
Most of what we do is self sustaining, it is self funding and supports itself. We are a not for profit social enterprise. We draw basic living expenses, and put everything else back into the work.
We are committed to making what we do available to all regardless of their financial circumstances.
Right now, in order to make the necessary changes to sustain what we do there is a substantial challenge. We need time to do this work and make this transition.
Your help would support the structural changes and new projects that will take a while to generate income.
This is the first time we have ever asked for this kind of support.
Here’s how you can help:
- Make a donation to our crowd funding campaign and enjoy the rewards we are offering, including new books, courses, downloads and cards.
- Set up and maintain a Community Plus Membership with us, then receive priority access to new courses and resources as they are made ready.
- Volunteer to play a role in preparing new resources.
- Tell others about what we are doing.
- Make a suggestion – how can your skills support these projects?