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 spirituality of her 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, half sister, her homeland, and the familiar embrace of her New Zealand family & friends. 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, attending art school and later undertaking an apprenticeship in interior design, where she found joy in expressing her artistic side during an otherwise challenging time.
A WHOLE NEW WORLD
Glitz, Glamour, and Music
At the age of nineteen, Mahara was persuaded to enter the Miss Switzerland pageant, winning 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 pursued her biggest passion: music.
As a DJ, Mahara created three compilations with Universal Music, as well as three of her own tracks featured on the renowned Cafe del Mar Samplers. Facing initial criticism, she persevered, playing at lounges and bars to promote her work.
A few years later, she was spinning records at high-profile events such as the Tony Hawk Show at the Grand Palais in Paris and NYC Fashion Week, 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:
A CHANGE OF DIRECTION
The Spiritual Awakening
In the midst of professional success, life took an unexpected turn. A severe knee injury 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 embark on a year-long journey around the world with nothing but a backpack and an open heart.
Her travels began in India, Rishikesh, the spiritual birthplace of yoga, where she sought a deeper meaning beyond the material world. She spent a transformational month at a Kriya Yoga Ashram, initiated by the revered Swami Shankarananda Giri. Her daily practice immersed her in a holistic blend of meditation, Hatha Yoga, mantra, mindfulness, Ayurvedic wisdom, Kundalini, 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.
Half a year through her world trip, 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 completed a Hatha Dharma Teacher Trainer course with Chris Cotty and further specialized in Hatha yoga with Emily Kuser in Bali. There she gained deep knowledge of unconditional love and experienced the healing energy within sacred Women’s circles, leading her to Nianna Bray’s Women’s Wisdom Teacher Trainer course in Queenstown, New Zealand.
Her curiosity for knowledge continued, as she attended more and more trainings, gaining more wisdom through yoga, tantra, dance, and rituals and implementing what she learnt in her daily life. Mahara attained a whole new level of understanding and appreciation of life, the mind, the body and consciousness.
LIVING WISDOM & CLARITY
The delicate balance that holds the essence of life
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.
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, longing 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 MEDITATION, followed by 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. 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 unforgettable 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. With Thailand, Portugal, India, and New Zealand still closed, she felt compelled 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 of staying there, waiting for the borders 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 committed relationship with a Swiss man, who did not want to live in Thailand. Therefore, she decided to sell the land in Koh Phangan.
THE BIRTH OF EQUILIBRA
A dream born in the Swiss Alpes
By November 2023, 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. This new chapter in Switzerland, born from a culmination of her diverse experiences, marked a significant evolution in her work.
In February 2025, she signed a contract with the investor behind the latest Dalai Lama documentary, Finding Happiness, agreeing to an intimate documentary about her own life—an intense, 1.5-year project that will unfold in the coming months.
VOICE LIBERATION
Mahara's Proprietary Methodology
The culmination of Mahara’s diverse life experiences—from the discipline in Switzerland and her spiritual Māori lineage to the tantric depth in India—has led to the birth of her most significant work to date: Voice Liberation.
Voice Liberation is Mahara’s proprietary methodology, a unique authorial synthesis that integrates movement, breath, and the profound power of the voice. This method is the result of years of exploration and practice, designed as a tool for deep transformation. Her purpose now is to expand the reach of Voice Liberation beyond retreats, bringing this exclusive medicine to schools, elderly care homes, the corporate world, and supporting individuals in processes of depression or loss, reaffirming the power of the voice as the definitive path to self-healing, peace, and wholeness.
"To truly follow the heart, we must first discover who we really are." For Mahara, the greatest teacher has always been LIFE itself—walking toward her fears, embracing challenges with an open heart, practicing mindfulness, and immersing herself in nature. From her humble beginnings to moments of fame and glamour, followed by a deep, spiritual path—Mahara's is embracing an ongoing practice of evolving, personal & spiritual growth, finding balance, seeking truth and deepening into love, working on caring and nurturing herself, her relationships and her environment, staying curious to life, flexible to change, trusting in her natural intelligence, and following her heart's calling. "I trust in the universe, in the wisdom within, and in the limitless potential of the soul."
Today, Mahara feels more free, alive, and at peace with herself than ever—dedicating herself to offering her work to anyone with an open heart and an open mind.
My 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, joy, and inner wisdom.