The biography tells the story of Roma's life from her years as a young model, becoming Australia's first proxy bride and being captured in a Japanese prisoner of war camp where she remained a prisoner in Java for three years in which time she gave birth with no doctors and was given stitches with a dirty needle, contracted dysentery and was so ill she would sometimes cough up worms. She finally emerged with spirits intact but was plagued by ill health and nightmares. Roma soon discovered yoga which she believes cured her and changed her life. She eventually was honoured with becoming Australia's first female swami and was known as the 'mother of yoga' in Australia.
Roma modelling in Sydney in 1959
Roma with Don Lane on the Don Lane Show in 1967
Roma practising yoga in the 1960's
Roma still working the catwalk at 80 years of age
Roma in the splits at her 80th birthday celebrations
Throughout her career Roma has published six books on yoga, made two videos, four records, established yoga clubs, filmed yoga exercise shows for Channel Nine, featured in magazine lift-outs and newspaper columns.
I'm sure many people see a slight similarity between Roma and I - both being models and being very flexible - but believe it or not, I have never done a yoga class in my life! Something I have decided to change and give it a go. Maybe I'll do a one on one yoga class with Roma when I visit her next. Yes she still practices yoga to this day!
2 comments:
I met this lovely lady when I was doing a job at her Burleigh home unit. I had a memorable conversation with her and she told me about her life including time spent as a prisoner during ww2 . I remember that picture with Roma on it in her wall. I felt very much at ease speaking with her and consider it an honour to have met and listened to her personally one on one in her home .
I met Roma Blair when I was 4 years old (1973) My mother used to take me with her to her Yoga classes in St Phillips Church Hall, Eastwood. I started watching the classes and then I joined in. We chanted Aum and did Yoga Nidra. Roma would ask me "how old do you think I am?" I used to say 150 and my mother would tell me off. To me she was timeless. Commenting on my youthful flexibility, she said "Don't worry ladies, when she grows up she will be old and stiff" ( which is so true) Usually when waiting for class members to emerge from Yoga Nidra, I would listen to the chants and music of India and Tibet, that she used to play. One day I found some beads (japa mala) and she said to me "You can have them if you want" I replied "Oh no they are yours, you will need them" When I grew up I went to India and thought of her. Before my own mother passed away, she told me that I went to India twice when I was a child on the way to the UK. We stopped in Calcutta on the way there and had to stop in Bombay on the way back. The Goddess worshipped in Calcutta is Kali Devi, the Hindu Deity of time, destruction and divine motherhood. The Goddess worshipped in Bombay, now called Mumbai is Mumbadevi, an incarnation of the Hindu mother Goddess Devi. My first yoga teacher Roma Blair, Swami Nirmalananda, will always be a Goddess to me. Much love Fiona x
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