Roma Blair is the founder of IYTA, also known as Swami Nirmalananda. She celebrated her 90th birthday on 28th July 2013 and passed on the 5th of November 2013 in Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast where her light shines brightly.
Roma Bliar lived an extraordinary life. Married to a Dutchman and living in Java, Roma became a Japanese prisoner of war. For three and a half years she had been missing and presumed dead. Roma gave birth to her son on a table with no medical help and even the demands of her Japanese captors to be out in the fields the following day could not break her spirit. Her journey through her life is one of remarkable strength, determination and courage.
With her release in 1945, Roma returns to Sydney to be reunited with her husband and family. Later travelling to South Africa with her husband and son, Roma takes up modelling. As her memories of the camp were fading her health becomes an issue.
Roma ends up at a yoga class and so begins a journey of healing. Roma has spent her life teaching others the physical and spiritual benefits of yoga and has continued to dedicate her life to charity.