Jyoteeka Cummings, life as a yoga teacher, Part 1 - Manawatu Conversations

Description: Broadcast on Manawatu People's Radio, 4th November 2025. Part 1 of 2. Jyoteeka Cummings shared her lifelong attraction to yoga, which resonated alongside her Catholic upbringing. She was drawn to Hindu ideas of reincarnation and divinity within all. Her spiritual journey began with meditation in her late twenties, spending ten years in a Sri Chinmoy centre. Later, she embraced Iyengar yoga, inspired by its discipline and grounded teachers. Iyengar’s method emphasized props and alignment to make yoga accessible to everyone. In her thirties, Jyoteeka trained in Australia before returning to Palmerston North to open a school. Despite doubts, her classes flourished, and she established a lasting yoga community. She teaches nine classes weekly, balancing business with lifestyle. Her approach combines discipline, body alignment, and mind–body awareness. For Jyoteeka, yoga is a lifelong spiritual path toward well-being and evolving consciousness.