Yoga Stops Traffick

On Saturday morning 12th March a cosy group of hardcore yogis got together at Københavns Yoga studio for 108 sun salutations.  This was part of Yoga Stops Traffick’s one-day worldwide event to help raise awareness and funds for Odanadi Seva Trust. The Odanadi Seva trust was set up 20 years ago, rescuing and rehabilitating children, carrying out brothel raids and bringing traffickers to justice (over 3 million children are involved in India’s sex trade).

Odanadi offers a place of sanctuary and a chance for these children to rebuild their lives. Read more here: http://www.yogastopstraffick.org/‘One Day, One Voice’ – Yoga Stops Traffick’s one day event is led by a group of young people in Mysore, survivors of slavery, trafficking, forced prostitution. Yoga plays an important part in their rehabilitation, helping them to rebuild mental and physical strength and to reclaim ownership of their bodies. Through rolling out our yoga mats on this one-day event we have the chance to send a voice to these survivors, offering support as well as speaking out against this horrific abuse.

It is a truly powerful feeling to sit in meditation, dedicating the 108 sun salutation practice to the children of Odanadi and Yoga Stops Traffick who have experienced abuse and slavery and yet are finding peace, a sense of self, confidence and belonging, rebuilding their lives through the help of yoga. To imagine others all over the world, at the same time, offering the same support, sharing one voice against the atrocities of human trafficking is powerful indeed. And humbling. We are but one, the others are many, yet we are all connected in, what I honestly felt at that moment, as the brother/sisterhood of man.

My respect and support goes out to Odanadi and Yoga Stops Traffick for the amazing work that they do and for giving us the opportunity to be a part of it. The practice started off with Tanya leading a short meditation and the first round of 25 sun salutations. Jørn then took over, followed by Louise (having given birth only a couple of months ago, she got stuck right in – that’s what dedicated yoga practice does!).  Each teacher brought his/her own style of sun salutation which brought variety to the practice to boost motivation.

Last year, 1500 people took part in 20 countries around the world. This year over 100 events were held worldwide in over 30 countries. Denmark took part for the first time. A big thank you to those who took part this year – we hope to see many more of you next year to share your voice against the atrocities of human trafficking and to lend your support through rolling out your mats.

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Caroline Cain

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