Dale Sandwith (Dhali)

From the surf to the mat

Dale "Dhali" Sandwith grew up surfing on the Victorian coast and snowboarding in the Victorian Alps. In 1997 a knee reconstruction took him out of the water, and he turned to yoga and QiGong to rebuild. What began as rehabilitation became his life's work.

Training

Dhali trained at the Yoga Arts Academy in Melbourne under Duncan Ewing (Prahlad), a student of Shandor Remete. Students there had to commit to a year of daily practice before being accepted. He went on to complete a three-year full-time teaching apprenticeship, working closely with Prahlad on one-to-one sessions. That is where his tailored approach comes from. He later spent three years in Asia, studying Northern Chinese Wushu, hand balancing and FeiCha (Chinese stick juggling) at the Beijing International Arts School. He also holds a Diploma of Shiatsu and Oriental Therapies from the Australian Shiatsu College.

Teaching

After his training, Dhali founded a Yoga Shala in Cairns, Queensland, before returning home to open Vidatha in Torquay.

He teaches Vidatha Yoga and Dragon Gate QiGong, bringing together asana, pranayama and meditation. His sessions are hands-on and experiential: you learn by doing, with a practice built for your body and adjusted as it changes.

In the treatment room

Dhali also offers shiatsu and Oriental therapies, drawing on the same understanding of the body that shapes his teaching.