Swami Sarasvati yoga special

Swami Sarasvati introduced yoga to mainstream Australia thanks to her self-titled morning TV show on Network Ten. Inadvertently, it made her a trailblazer for cultural diversity on our screens, long before Australian television embraced multiculturalism. This clip from a 1980 yoga special shows her relaxed and charismatic hosting style and how she infused aspects of Indian culture into her presentation via the opening credits, theme music and decorative touches in the simple studio set. Her instructions are clear and delivered with the hint of a smile. Sarasvati first appeared on television in 1968, demonstrating yoga on In Sydney Tonight. Her regular program launched the following year and stayed on air throughout the 1970s. Swami returned to national screens on SBS in the mid-1980s. Swami’s Yoga Retreat opened in North West Sydney in 1983 and continues to operate today.