Our story  

Serve, love, and give.

Hello—we’re Priyadhara and Atmabhava, founders of Creating Balance.

We're dedicated to supporting people in cultivating genuine wellness—inner alignment and a deepening relationship with life itself—through connection to the regenerative power of nature and guided mindful somatic practice.

With over two decades of classical training and teaching in integral yoga, meditation, and conscious living, we offer a modern approach—where time-tested bodymind practices meet contemporary science and the wisdom of nature.

We dream of a more compassionate world—one where deep respect for all life guides humanity forward, and where individuals, communities, and the natural world flourish together. This work is our contribution to that future—offered without judgement, and shaped to feel genuinely relevant to each person who finds their way here.

Our guiding values 

  • Serve, love, and give with an open heart and clear mind

  • Cultivate wholeness, integrity, and humility

  • Honour all life with care and respect

  • Align your choices with your values

  • Live consciously, ethically, and sustainably

  • Integrate all parts of yourself with compassion

  • Nurture your connection to the natural world

  • Commit to self-honesty and personal growth

Roots of our practice

Our paths began with a deep reverence for nature—a spark that ignited a lifelong quest for knowledge and connection. This curiosity drew us into diverse fields of enquiry, new perspectives, and the wisdom of inspiring teachers and communities across the world.

These experiences deepened our commitment to nurturing wellness from the inside out, grounded in sustainable and intentional choices.

  • Our teachers—living mirrors of resilience—revealed the human capacity to restore balance, expand awareness, and move through life with inner strength and clarity. Their guidance opened a path of self-enquiry, healing, growth, and empowerment.

  • They taught us to live with integrity, authenticity, humility, and purpose—integrating the fragmented parts of ourselves into wholeness through mindful somatic practice and integral perspectives that honour body, emotions, mind, and spirit.

  • Rooted in Swami Sivananda’s teachings, our extensive yogic training across India, Australia, and New Zealand revealed the transformative power of dedicated practice, selfless service, and compassionate, impartial awareness.

    This path inspired profound lifestyle changes, guiding us toward complementary fields of knowledge and an integrative view of wellness grounded in bio-individuality.

  • Rather than following a single stream of teaching, our work integrates contemplative tradition with contemporary research.

    Integral yoga, meditation, and conscious living form the foundation—supporting inner awareness and self-regulation—while insights from psychology, neuroscience, and integrative nutrition deepen their practical application in everyday living.

    This modern approach supports people from all walks of life to cultivate resilience, restore balance, and experience wholeness across all dimensions of being.

A man with curly hair and a beard smiling outdoors near a body of water, with green hills in the background, wearing a brown sweater and a tan shawl.
A woman with long brown hair wearing a white shirt and green necklace standing against a dark forest background.

Cultivating wellness

It’s an evolving journey—honouring the interconnectedness of body, emotions, mind, shadow, spirit, relationships, experiences, values, and the choices that shape daily life.

It weaves together personalised nutrition, physical vitality, mental and emotional balance, and inner growth—recognising that true wellbeing emerges when our foundational needs, mental clarity, and purpose align with the living world.

Integral yoga, meditation, and conscious living—alongside genuine connection with the natural world—strengthen this journey, fostering resilience, self-discovery, and a grounded, balanced sense of self.

  • Time in nature recalibrates the nervous system, eases stress, restores a sense of harmony, and opens a deeper feeling of belonging and trust in life.

  • Yoga—meaning ‘to yoke’ or unite—is a practice of reconnection: with yourself and the world around you.

    Through its various disciplines, it softens the sense of separation between your relative, evolving self and your essential self—anchoring you as you navigate life’s joys and challenges.

    With mindful movement, intentional breathing, deep relaxation, meditation, and self-enquiry, it builds a steady, integrated foundation for health, self-discipline, and the unfolding of your life.

  • Meditation—the heart of yoga—invites a gentle turning inward to cultivate calm, present-moment awareness.

    Whether through guided practice, breath awareness, or silent reflection, it nurtures mental and emotional clarity by recalibrating the nervous system and expanding consciousness.

    This inner spaciousness fosters a compassionate perspective and deepens your connection with yourself, others, and the wider world.

  • Conscious living is the art of making intentional choices that align your actions with your deepest values and sense of direction.

    From mindful nourishment and sustainable habits to purposeful decision-making, it brings awareness into everyday life.

    As a lived expression of integral yoga and meditation, conscious living awakens harmony—supporting authentic expression and positive contribution to your community and all life on Earth.

Life-changing influences 

We are deeply grateful for the wisdom and guidance we’ve received from people around the world who have been part of our journey:

  • Our parents and families, whose love, values, and quiet example laid the foundation for our journey

  • Accomplished yogis and sannyasins who illuminated the path of unified awareness

  • Environmentalists and nature conservationists who taught us to live in reverence for the Earth

  • Ayurvedic practitioners and holistic wellness guides who honoured the body’s innate intelligence

  • Functional medicine experts who bridged ancient wisdom with modern science

  • Ken Wilber’s Integral MetaTheory, offering a map to embrace the full spectrum of human experience

  • Scientists, psychologists, and philosophers who expanded our understanding of mind, body, relationships, and consciousness

  • Stewards of traditional cultures worldwide who shared timeless knowledge of harmony and reciprocity

  • Pioneers in permaculture and regenerative agriculture who showed us how to heal and co-create with the land

  • “As human beings, we instinctively chase the spark of pleasure, success, and excitement, while turning away from the shadows—pain, grief, anger, trauma. For years, I lived for adventure—guiding white-water rafting trips, climbing frozen ridges, always chasing the next peak. It was exhilarating. But one day my body crashed. Sudden illness halted everything, forcing me to face what I’d long neglected or suppressed. Instead of fighting it, I let it be—sitting with the exhaustion, the fear, the stillness I'd avoided. Slowly, I stopped running from life and started walking through it. I rediscovered health, felt my deep bond with nature anew, and opened to a fuller, more vibrant way of living. From there, I began supporting others on their journeys, and to this day, I’m inspired by the transformation that unfolds when we—as unique individuals— embrace life in all its raw complexity, forging paths of meaning and positive impact.”

    — Atmabhava

  • “To really show up for the people we care about, to lift up the world in our own small ways, and to feel a deep sense of fulfilment—we need to start by turning the mirror on ourselves. Looking honestly at our patterns, choices, and the truths we've avoided. Where we see fragmentation—old wounds, scattered priorities, broken parts of self—we're called to pause and cultivate wholeness. Through my own roller-coaster journey, I’ve come to see that life teaches us to nurture our inner worlds as much as the environment around us, heal by integrating what we've pushed aside, and grow by embracing higher values and perspectives that stretch our comfort zones. Just when we think we've got it figured out, it throws us into the deep end—those intense moments that force us to live what we've learned. We stumble, doubt ourselves, but rise with more authenticity, clarity, and purpose each time. Through it all, we evolve—building strength, real connections, and discovering a resilience we never knew we had.

    Isn’t this a journey worth honouring?”

    — Priyadhara

Living with nature

We’re all about sustainable living at Creating Balance Nature Retreat, inviting you to join us in Earth-friendly practices that nurture the health of both you and the planet.

  • Our land is a living permaculture design—interwoven native plantings, heritage fruit trees, organic vegetable gardens, and regenerative systems that mirror nature’s intelligence. This evolving landscape nurtures stewardship, biodiversity, and a deepened relationship with the Earth.

  • We live entirely off-grid, powered by solar energy and supported by efficient systems that follow the sun’s natural rhythms—our everyday expression of living lightly, consciously, and in harmony with nature.

  • Our Nature Retreat is crafted with energy-efficiency and care—locally sourced timber, non-toxic building materials, clay-marble finishes, natural paints, and ethically sourced furnishings—creating a safe, nourishing space that honours both people and planet.

  • We grow organic produce on-site and source from local organic farmers. Our whole-food, nutrient-rich, low-impact approach to nourishment supports both personal and planetary health and wellbeing.

  • Kitchen scraps return to the soil through composting—transforming waste into living nourishment for our gardens without chemical fertilisers, while caring for soil vitality.

  • Rainwater is harvested for drinking, household use, and garden irrigation, supporting mindful resource use and a regenerative relationship with water.

  • We minimise waste through reducing, reusing, and recycling—avoiding single-use plastics and choosing eco-friendly, ethically sourced alternatives wherever possible.

  • We actively plant native trees, heritage fruit varieties, and companion species to restore biodiversity and regenerate the land—an ongoing commitment to the living world.

  • We collaborate with neighbours and local initiatives, sharing resources, knowledge, and support to live lightly on the Earth and strengthen community wellbeing.

Mountain landscape with green hills, mist, clouds, and distant mountain peaks under a cloudy sky.