Celebrating 35 Years of Byron Yoga Centre
35 Years of Transformative Journey
By Kate Love
Amidst the serene beauty of Byron Bay, Byron Yoga Centre offers blissful retreats for the mind, body and soul. Celebrating an incredible milestone of 35 years as a local business and holding the distinction of being Australia's longest-running yoga centre, Byron Yoga Centre embodies an inspiring saga, as narrated by John Ogilvie, its founder and CEO.
"My journey with yoga began over 45 years ago when I was living in Melbourne. At that time, I had reached a low point in my life, struggling with drug addiction and a deep sense of emptiness. I was in a black hole. I managed to work up the courage to check myself into The Buttery - a local residential rehab centre in the Northern Rivers. It was here that I practiced the 12 step program and was reintroduced to yoga. Up until this point, I’d tried to cover the black hole in my life with drugs, however this covering proved fragile and would constantly reopen. By practicing what I learnt at The Buttery and daily yoga, eventually the black hole healed, but not without some scar tissue to remind me of where I came from. I had found peace and happiness within myself.”
In 1986, John taught his inaugural yoga class. Two years later, Byron Yoga Centre took root in the Epicentre - an old meat factory in Byron Bay. Here, John taught yoga classes and initiated an affordable yoga teacher training program, driven by an ardent desire to share his newfound passion with the world, making it accessible to all.
The tide turned in 2008 when the Epicentre faced closure due to sale to developers, propelling John towards acquiring a new property - the everlasting home for Byron Yoga Centre. 50 Skinners Shoot Rd, a sprawling 30-acre expanse just 1km from Byron’s town centre, became the sanctuary for this transformative venture.
Throughout the years, the Byron Yoga Centre flourished. Boasting 30 staff members, 6 yoga spaces and 15 dedicated teachers, it offers diverse accommodation options catering to all budgets. Emphasising sustainability, the centre operates on solar power, features compost toilets, relies on rainwater tanks and thrives on 3 acres of organic gardens, serving as the primary source for their menu.
The property’s embrace extends to sheltering three endangered ecological communities, fostering a habitat for various native animals, including threatened species such as the black-necked stork, koalas, large-footed myotis and little bent-wing bat. Additionally, a solar-heated 20 metre mineral salt swimming pool, abundant in magnesium, adds to the allure.
John’s vision transcends the boundaries of a mere retreat centre - it aspires to birth a sustainable eco-village, focused on minimising its carbon footprint. Visitors to Byron Yoga Centre embrace mindfulness, partake in yoga, relish a healthy vegetarian diet and assimilate the principles of its eco-village, carrying these ideals back into their lives, fostering a beautiful ripple effect.
The journey wasn't without hurdles. Like many businesses in Byron Bay and across Australia, Byron Yoga Centre faced trials - from bushfires to COVID-19-induced closures, the 2022 flooding and the ongoing economic downturn.
"It’s thanks to our beautiful community that we have been able to keep our doors open and continue providing what we love. We now provide yoga retreats every week of the year for all ages and abilities. Our yoga teacher trainings have expanded to include yoga for those suffering from trauma, health focused ayurveda training and training for teaching seniors yoga."
Amidst challenges, John's unwavering vision remains - to make yoga accessible to everyone, without exclusivity.
"We aspire to spread the peace of yoga to every town and village, for we believe that yoga has the potential to change the world, as it did mine."
To commemorate this remarkable journey, Byron Yoga Centre is offering a 7-day yoga retreat valued at $3,490. To enter, articulate in 35 words why you need a yoga retreat at Byron Yoga Centre.
Byron Yoga Centre
50 Skinners Shoot Rd, Byron Bay, NSW 2478
byronyoga.com | 02 6685 8327
@byronyogacentre
Enter the yoga retreat giveaway here
Book a yoga retreat here
A locals discount on retreats - 20% off!
Read more about John Ogilvie’s story here
View the 2017 interview with The Project and our Trauma Aware Yoga Teacher Training Instruction Chris Thompson-Lang here
Byron Yoga Centre now donates a percentage of its profits to support The Buttery. To learn more and to donate to the Buttery click here.