HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
From New Zealand to Switzerland
Born in Aotearoa (New Zealand) to a Māori father and Swiss mother, Mahara spent her early childhood immersed in the warmth and spirituality of her extended Māori family.
At just five years old, Mahara had her first profound spiritual experience when her beloved great-grandfather visited her in a dream to say goodbye — the very night he passed away. This moment awakened a lifelong connection to the unseen world.
At the age of ten, following the separation of her parents, Mahara and her brother moved with their mother to Switzerland — leaving behind her father, her homeland, and the familiar embrace of her New Zealand family. The transition was painful, and adapting to a new culture, language, and way of life was a deep initiation.
She holds deep respect and heartfelt gratitude for her mother, who worked tirelessly — often juggling three jobs — to keep the family afloat.
Despite financial hardship, Mahara found refuge in creativity. She attended art school for a year after high school and later undertook an apprenticeship in interior design, where she found joy in expressing her artistic side which also offered moments of joy and grounding during an otherwise challenging time.
A WHOLE NEW WORLD
Glitz and Glamour
At the age of nineteen, Mahara was persuaded to enter the Miss Switzerland pageant, drawn by the promise of a car and high-profile professional opportunities. To her surprise, she won the title in 2000. Overnight, she was catapulted from anonymity into public prominence, attending gala events and traveling internationally. Despite the celebrity status, glamour, and visibility this new world offered, Mahara struggled with the loss of privacy and a longing for simplicity and authenticity.
After her year holding the title, she headed straight after her biggest passion - MUSIC.
As a DJ, Mahara created three compilations with Universal Music, as well as 3 of her own tracks, featured on three of the renowned Cafe del Mar Samplers.
In the face of criticism and pressure, Mahara decided to play at lounges and bars to promote herself and her CDs. She was a beginner, but wasn't able to start off small or anonymously, but she didn't give up; a few years later she was spinning records at events such as the Tony Hawk Show at the Grand Palais in Paris, and NYC Fashion Week and alongside world renowned Artists including Marc Ronson, Samantha Ronson, Rhazel, John Legend and Paul Oakenfold.
Alongside her music career, Mahara also modeled for prominent brands, choreographed fashion shows, and hosted events and city guide television programs.
Her keen fashion sense inspired her to design women's gowns and style photoshoots, further expressing her creative vision.
Here are some snippets of her previous work:
The Tony Hawk Show, Grand Palais Paris
A CHANGE OF DIRECTION
A tragedy
that changed Mahara´s perspective
In the midst of professional success, life took an unexpected turn for Mahara. A severe knee injury followed by a pulmonary embolism became a profound wake-up call — a moment to pause, reflect, and reevaluate the direction of her life.
With courageous clarity, she chose to step away from the spotlight, sell her belongings, and set off on a year-long journey around the world with nothing but a backpack and an open heart.
Her travels began in India, the spiritual birthplace of yoga, where she sought a deeper meaning beyond the material world.
In Rishikesh, she spent a transformational month at a Kriya Yoga Ashram, where she was initiated by the revered Swami Shankarananda Giri. Her daily practice immersed her in a holistic blend of meditation, Hatha Yoga, mantra, mindfulness, Ayurvedic wisdom, and Pranayama.
Though Mahara had been practicing yoga since 2005, it was in India that she truly discovered the essence of yoga - as a path of inner awakening.
On a remote island in Fiji, away from civilization, electricity and running water, Mahara experienced Samadhi (pure bliss) during meditation. In that silence, she received a clear message: her purpose was to share this path with others.
On this journey, she took a Hatha Dharma Teacher Trainer course with Chris Cotty and travelled to Bali to complete her training with Emily Kuser of High Vibe Yoga, specialising in Hatha yoga with refinements in Pranayama, Meditation and Philosophy. Here, she saw deep knowledge of unconditional love, and experienced the energy within a sacred Women’s circle, drawing her to the talented Nianna Bray’s Women’s Wisdom Teacher Trainer course in Queenstown.
Through yoga, tantra, dance & rituals, Mahara attained a whole new level of understanding and appreciation of the incredibly beautiful feminine energy and continues on the path to unlock its power.
Living Wisdom
For Mahara, true wisdom isn’t found in fame or accolades, but in the quiet moments of presence.
Nature, in all its beauty and harmony, is her greatest teacher.
Love, both gentle and fierce, reveals the soul’s deepest truths.
Children, untouched by the world’s complexities, mirror honesty and innocence.
And in the dance between light and shadow, Mahara learns again and again how to walk the delicate balance that holds the essence of life together.
A more detailed list with all her studies can be found here.
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CLARITY
Experience the magic of silence and find your truth.
In 2015, she opened two beautiful yoga studios "2nd Floor Yoga" in the heart of Dunedin, New Zealand—returning to her roots, where she taught for two years.
As much as she loved her time there, she felt a deep calling to leave. She longed to focus on transformational trainings, guiding people beyond the physical body into the depths of heart and soul.
Trusting her instincts, she returned to India, where the next chapter of her journey began—and TANTRA ENERGY was born.
For four years, she lived out of a backpack, traveling the world, holding tantric spaces for personal development and spiritual awakening.
On the magical island of Koh Phangan, Thailand, she found a breathtaking piece of land—a place that felt like home, the perfect setting for a Tantra retreat center.
But life had other plans...
After purchasing the land, she returned to India to teach—and there, for the first time, she fell in love with a woman. Overcoming challenges of what other people may think of that.
This love led her to Portugal, where she immersed herself in the early stages of building an off-grid community deep in the wilderness.
They lived with no running water, no electricity, and endured scorching heat by day, while at night, they slept under the vast Milky Way, illuminated by thousands of stars. An unforgetable time.
When they traveled back to India to hold a training, the global lockdown trapped them there for seven months.
Eventually Mahara returned to visit her family in Switzerland. But with Thailand, Portugal, India, and New Zealand still closed, she felt trapped there and had to act fast. Switzerland was expensive, and she needed a place to live and teach. Just six months later, the second lockdown hit—thankfully she had secured an affordable studio where she could teach and live for the beginning. She had no intention in staying there. She was just waiting for the boarders in Thailand to open.
Despite the challenges, she persevered.
Over the next three years, she built a thriving community—one deeply committed to self-discovery. Through the power of the spoken word from her students, her teachings reached and transformed countless souls.
Meanwhile she had a comited relationship with a Swiss Man, who did not want to live in Thailand.
Therefor she decided to sell the land in Koh Phangan in February 2024.
By April 2024, she reinvested in an incredible building in the Swiss Alps, transforming it into a retreat center "Equilibra", where she now holds sold-out retreats and courses in both German and English.
In February 2025, she signed a contract with the investor behind the latest Dalai Lama documentary, agreeing to an intimate documentary about her own life—an intense, year-long project that will unfold in the coming months.
In June 2026 , Mahara will finally offer her first facilitator training.
For Mahara, the greatest teacher has always been LIFE itself—walking toward her fears, embracing challenges with an open heart, practicing mindfulness, observing children and animals, and immersing herself in nature.
From her humble beginnings to moments of fame and glamour, followed by a deep, spiritual path—Mahara's is embrasing an ongoing practice of evolving,
becoming whole, finding balance, seeking truth and love, working on caring and nurturing relationships, personal development and self love, trusting in her natural intelligence, and following her hearts calling.
"To truly follow the heart, we must first discover who we really are".
Today, Mahara feels more free, alive, and at peace than ever—dedicating herself to offering her work to anyone with an open heart and an open mind.
She has learned to appreciate life’s simplest joys, to embrace humility, to take bold risks, and to live her dreams.
"I trust in the universe, in the wisdom within, and in the limitless potential of the soul".
Her greatest mission?
To inspire you,
to become the best version of yourself,
to encourage you,
to reach your highest potential,
and to guide you
toward a life of love, peace, and balance.