A portion of profit generated by Keen on Yoga classes and workshops is donated Yoga Stops Traffick.
YST is an annual worldwide yoga event held in March. The aim is to raise awareness and funds to support the survivors of human trafficking. Yoga practitioners come together from across the globe, on a single day, to change lives.
Due to COVID 19 the event did not go ahead this year. Therefore, it is particularly important that we pledge our support to keep up assisting the charity. We are hosting regular events, donating a portion of income and offering students the option to add £1 to workshops.
For the past 10 years, Yoga Stops Traffick has provided vital support for the women, men and children at the Odanadi Seva Trust safe houses. These are an NGO in Mysore, India. Which is the city which is widely recognised as the home of modern yoga.
Odanadi Seva Trust
Odanadi addresses all forms of sexual violence against women and children, with a special focus on human trafficking. They have adopted a holistic approach to combat sexual violence through prevention, rescue, rehabilitation, awareness and training programmes.
The word Odanadi means a soulmate, someone who walks with you, hand in hand, through life. Supporting Odanadi is personal to us as we spent so much time in Mysore, where our yoga school it located and were fortunate to to have the time, money and peace of mind to develop yoga where many haven’t. We recognise this and our aim is to support others who have not had our privilege.
“For the Odanadi residents Yoga Stops Traffick means a sense of belonging. They feel they have relatives and friends across the globe who love them and want the best for them. When the name of Odanadi is taken to countries across the world, it starts a healing process. It gives us the energy to carry on.”
Odanadi founders Stanly and Parashuram
Theresa, Saucha and YST
My wife Theresa also supports Yoga Stops Traffick through her all natural body care range Saucha. In March she went Odanadi to teach the girls natural soap making techniques to add to their skill set, to help them start up a small business in Mysore. She found it to be a very optimistic atmosphere, and they taught her, just as she did them. That’s what yoga is about – a creating a circle of care, first in ourselves and then spreading out in increasingly wider ones.
Some of the photos of the workshop are below. Two days after Theresa arrived, India started to lock down due to Covid, so she had to cut her trip short to return home.
Our goal to get back together to continue the teaching and offer support when we can make it back.
