Yes, all Siddha Yoga venues have entry requirements. This includes both the Ashrams in Melbourne and Sydney, the Meditation Centre in Perth, and all Chanting and Meditation Groups across Australia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Health and Attendance Policy and Procedures for Siddha Yoga Venues
Do Siddha Yoga venues have entry requirements?
What are the requirements for attendance at Siddha Yoga venues?
The requirements for attending a Siddha Yoga venue are that attendees agree to follow The Policy for Attendance at Siddha Yoga Venues.
Attendees are also strongly encouraged to book in advance on this website.
Since the pandemic, the Siddha Yoga Foundation has put in place, and periodically updated, its policy and procedures for attendance at Siddha Yoga venues. These are to protect the health and safety of the community and to gather information for better planning.
What is the Siddha Yoga event/venue registration procedure?
To ensure a joyful, heart-felt welcoming of all who attend a Siddha Yoga venue, and to meet the requirements outlined above, the event registration process is as follows:
On-line registration
Advance registration is highly recommended. For those signed into their account on the Siddha Yoga Australia website, advance registration has been streamlined and now takes less than a minute.
Check-in on arrival
Those who have registered in advance are asked to check in with a welcome host or at the reception on arrival. Any person arriving at a Siddha Yoga venue without pre-registration will be asked to simply give their name and contact details, and to declare that they have no symptoms of respiratory infection.
Once off pre-registration
For smaller venues, all regular participants need only pre-register once and thereafter simply confirm their attendance on arrival.
Why does Siddha Yoga need to collect my details for attending Siddha Yoga venue?
These are to protect the health and safety of the community and to gather information for better planning.
Fire and other emergency safety is a high priority of the Foundation. We need to be aware of every person who enters a Siddha Yoga venue to ensure that they can be accounted for in an emergency. Child safety also requires that we are aware of who enters the building and that they adhere to child safety regulations.
What other safety measures are in place?
The Siddha Yoga Foundation Limited in Australia has a responsibility to provide a safe environment in all its venues, and has a duty of care under the Work Health and Safety and child protection laws to protect the health and well-being of staff, volunteers/sevites and visitors (including children) to its venues.
To reduce the risk of transmission of severe respiratory disease, excellent ventilation, including filters and fresh air, has been installed in both Ashram meditation halls. In addition, all visitors to Siddha Yoga venues are required to declare that they are not experiencing any symptoms of respiratory disease.
Do I need to set up an account on the Siddha Yoga Community Portal?
For regular Siddha Yoga events open to the public, it is not necessary to book online via a Siddha Yoga Community Portal account. It does, however, make it much quicker to complete the booking process if you are signed in.
Signing into your account will also give you access to Siddha Yoga Australia organisational and community information, as well as making it easier to purchase items from the online Siddha Yoga bookstore and to make donations online.
What happens if I can no longer attend an event I have booked for?
It is important that you notify us if you are unable to attend an event that you have booked for.
This includes all events at a Siddha Yoga Ashram or Centre, as well as Chanting and Meditation Group events.
We ask you to please notify the Events Registration Team as soon as possible by emailing: booking@siddhayoga.org.au.
For a Chanting and Meditation group (CMG) booking, you may contact your CMG Host directly.
Is it mandatory to wear a mask while chanting?
It is no longer mandatory. This choice is left up to the individual.
Why has the capacity of our Hall/satsang venue been reduced?
To reduce the risk of transmission of viruses we are continuing to implement some increased physical distancing between chairs, where possible. This might reduce the number of people who will fit into our hall or satsang area.
If someone decides to attend but still has some concern about this, then please consider wearing a mask and, if you wish, you can speak to a hall monitor who will, if they can, try to seat you where there is more free space.
* Updated September 2023.